By Makutu Manneh
The authorities at the Kanifing Municipal Council said they want to initiate the process of popularizing By-Laws they enacted in June 9th 2020.
They said they want to communicate this Bye –Laws to their communities through local languages.
“The by-laws are enforceable from June 9th but we have a strategy of communicating the existence of the by-laws through translating it in all the local languages to make sure it is understood,” Mayor Bensouda said.
A by-Law is a rule or law established by an organization to regulate itself, so in this case the Kanifing Municipal Council by-laws are to control its municipality.
The penalty for the violation of these By-Laws is liable to a fine of not more than one thousand dalasis or an imprisonment for a term of not more than three months.
The Mayor said one of the council’s biggest responsibilities as a local government authority is to establish order and the rule of law within its communities since the constitution does not cover all aspects.
He said since he came to office in 2018, his council has had many complaints from their communities about lack of order, civil disobedience and conflicts between neighbours. He went on saying this is all due to lack of local governance.
Mayor Bensouda alluded that the Kanifing Municipal Council under his leadership has come up with its first comprehensive by laws and that it is the first of its kind.
“We are proud to say we have now introduced the first of its kind comprehensive by-laws for our municipality,” the Mayor said.
He said disturbance such as loud noise, having ceremonies and other public events late at night without the consideration of their neighbours are reasons that led KMC to come up with comprehensive by- laws to guide their communities and to ensure there are penalties if one disrupts their community.
He went on to inform that they need help from all the security task force heads since it is their responsibility to make sure it is enforced, adding that KM is their municipality; if it is organized the Gambia will be organized.
“The security task force chiefs we will rely heavily on you to make sure that these by-laws are fully enforced,” he added.
“The first important thing here is community policing to tell one another when they are wrong and if they refuse to listen and report them to the right authorities, I think this is what good citizenship is about and this is what we will expect residents of KM to do.”
