By Ndey Sowe
The Gambia Government has accepted the recommendations of the task force assigned to investigate the Kamalo Layout and Kamalo Proper land saga after obtaining legal advice from the Ministry of Justice.
Hamat N.K Bah, the Minister of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs (MoLRG) made the announcement on Monday, 27 January 2025.
The Kamalo task force was commissioned following an Executive order to the Ministry of Land. Sequel to numerous complaints from the general public, the government through the Ministry set up a multi-sectoral task force to review the matter.
Minister Bah updated the public on the recommendations of the Multi-Sectoral Task Force that investigated and reviewed the lands allocated at the Kamalo Layout and its extension.
The task force submitted a 34-page report with 14 recommendations to the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs. The Ministry forwarded the report to the Attorney General’s Chamber for legal advice.
Hamat Bah said the legal opinion proffered two options for consideration. Honourable Bah said the report contained 14-point recommendations .
The task force recommended for the MoLRG to develop a National Land Policy (NLP) to outline the country’s agenda on land administration and management, the roles and responsibilities of all the authorities in land management. Minister Bah said the recommendations have been adopted and implementation is on high gear for the completion of NLP.
The task force recommended for the Ministry to endeavor to have a proper filing system in place and ensure that efforts are made to the effect that the Kamalo file is produced. Minister Bah said the recommendation has been accepted.
On the recommendation to cancel the Kamalo Layout as an industrial layout, the Minister said it has been varied and substituted with the recommendation above, which is to find the Kamalo file.
The Ministry accepted the recommendation to maintain Kamalo Proper, according to Minister Bah while the Kamalo extension was revoked in its entirety.
The Government accepted the revocation of all allocations in
Kamalo Proper that were made without ministerial approval. Minister Bah added that they have accepted the recommendation to revoke allottees within Kamalo Proper who have not applied with proper business registration certificate and payment receipt of application fees.
Bah said they have accepted the recommendation to establish clear-cut criteria for allocating multiple plots to an individual entity.
“Consequently, allottees with multiple allocations are hereby forfeited to the state within Kamalo Proper,” Minister Bah said.
The Government also accepted the recommendation to conduct a comprehensive general and specific environment impact assessment at Kamalo Proper before any further development on the site.
“The allocation given to one Modou Mbye without Ministerial approval is hereby revoked as per the task force recommendation in Kamalo proper,” he said.
The recommendation to revoke those allocations to allottees who submitted their personal bank statement instead of the company’s bank statement within Kamalo Proper was also accepted.
“Finally, the recommendation to hold those officials accountable for the missing Kamalo file is hereby adopted,” the Minister said.
Minister Bah said 12 plots were forfeited from the Kamalo Proper while the 28 plots at the Kamalo extension were canceled.
Bah said allocation to ineligible applicants (Wuday Trading) in the Kamalo Proper with 3 plots is forfeited. Minister Bah mentioned that the several plots allocated to GOPI Furniture, Gambisara White House and GAMPLAST Enterprise Ltd were all forfeited. He also stated that an ineligible applicant (Mauro Farms) with several plots was also forfeited.
“The seven plots of compensation of the Ceesay Kunda Family, by the Ministry without any evidence presented to the taskforce as to the integrity of the compensation process has left the whole compensation with more uncertainty and likelihood of abuse of process,” he stated.
He stated that his Ministry has also noted with concern the recommendation of the task force that staff of the Ministry were adversely mentioned in the report. He told the press that the recommendation of the task force has been accepted.
