By Yankuba Jallow
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the mayor of Kanifing Municipality and flag bearer of Coalition 2026, has unveiled a 66-point manifesto promising reforms in the cost of living, public accountability, healthcare, education, security, agriculture and employment if the coalition wins the December 2026 presidential election.
Bensouda, who is also the founder and leader of UNITE, launched the manifesto in Banjul on Thursday at an event attended by coalition stakeholders, party members, supporters, well-wishers and invited guests.
The document, titled 66 Priority Actions of Talib Ahmed Bensouda, sets out 66 proposed actions across 13 policy areas, built around three main pillars: governance and trust, human development, and economic integrity.
It also sets out proposed timelines, ranging from the first six months of a potential administration to a five-year mandate.
The manifesto places the rising cost of living, access to public services, the management of public funds and the creation of economic opportunities among its priorities. It also proposes constitutional reforms, changes to the justice system, improvements in electricity and water services, and new measures on land ownership and local government financing.
“Our commitments address household costs, livelihoods, public services and accountable government. Each action sets out what we will do and when,” the manifesto states.
The document adds: “The objective is not to promise everything, but to deliver what matters, with discipline, transparency, and results.”
Bensouda presents the manifesto as a programme of specific actions with proposed deadlines, rather than a general list of election promises. However, the commitments remain proposals, and their implementation would depend on the coalition winning power and securing the resources and legal changes required to carry them out.
Cost of living and jobs at the centre of the plan
One of the manifesto’s first priorities is the rising cost of living, which it proposes to treat as a national emergency.
Under its first action, Coalition 2026 promises to introduce an Emergency Cost of Living Programme aimed at reducing the cost of essential food, daily transport and electricity.
The plan proposes a dedicated task force to coordinate reforms, publish price-reduction targets and monitor the cost of a basket of everyday household goods each month.
The proposed programme is expected to begin within 12 months of taking office.
The manifesto also promises a sector-based minimum wage framework, beginning with government employees and expanding gradually into the private sector according to productivity and the economy’s capacity.
That framework is also scheduled to begin within 12 months.
On food prices and local production, the coalition proposes targeted tariffs on selected imported food products where domestic producers have the capacity to meet demand. The document says the policy would need to protect food affordability and national food security.
It also proposes a “Gambians First” public procurement framework under which eligible government contracts would go to Gambian-owned or Gambian-led businesses where their capacity to deliver has been verified.
The coalition says the procurement reform would be introduced within a year.
A further proposal is to establish a National Development Bank within three years. The institution would provide long-term financing and investment support for manufacturing, agro-processing, fisheries, infrastructure and logistics.
The proposed bank is intended to support businesses and productive sectors that require funding to expand their operations.
Taken together, the five economic actions focus on household expenses, wages, local food production, business opportunities and access to development finance.
The manifesto does not, however, set out the overall cost of these five proposals or identify the specific sources of funding that would be used to finance them.
Promises constitutional reform and presidential term limits
Governance and accountability form another major part of the manifesto, with proposals covering presidential term limits, public procurement, asset declarations, access to information and the work of public institutions.
Coalition 2026 proposes to introduce legislation for constitutional amendments and complete the constitutional review process, leading to a referendum on a two-term limit for presidents.
The manifesto says the legislation would be introduced within six months.
The proposal comes as the country approaches the December 2026 presidential election, with questions of constitutional reform and the structure of government remaining important issues in national politics.
The coalition also promises to strengthen the funding and independence of institutions responsible for accountability.
It proposes giving the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Access to Information Commission and the National Human Rights Commission full financial and enforcement autonomy within two years.
The manifesto also proposes enforcing regular asset declarations by political officeholders, with penalties for those who fail to comply. The measure is scheduled for implementation within the first six months of a potential administration.
Another proposed reform would establish an online public procurement platform displaying government tenders, contract awards, complaints and their outcomes in real time.
The platform would be introduced within 12 months, according to the document.
The coalition also promises to follow up on findings in reports from the Auditor General and publish information about the outcomes of those actions each year.
It proposes completing the civil service reform agenda within two years, with measurable performance targets for public institutions and senior officials linked to the delivery of public services.
Government operations would also be digitised, with centralised and searchable digital records intended to make official business more secure and allow decisions to be traced.
The manifesto sets a two-year deadline for that reform.
On civic freedoms, the coalition proposes repealing the Public Order Act and guaranteeing protections for people to organise and protest. It also promises action against intimidation and abuse.
The proposal is scheduled for implementation within 12 months.
The manifesto says these measures would be part of a wider effort to make the government more open and give citizens greater ability to scrutinise public decisions.
Independent Attorney General and changes to the justice system
The justice and security proposals include a plan to separate the Attorney General from the Ministry of Justice.
Under the manifesto, the Attorney General would become an independent office intended to protect the public interest and uphold the Constitution.
The proposed change would be implemented within two years.
The coalition also promises to establish an integrated Serious Crime and Homicide Reduction Strategy within 12 months.
The strategy would cover crime prevention, specialist investigations, forensic evidence, prosecutions, support for victims’ families and the management of offenders.
Another proposal would place trained welfare officers at every police station to handle cases involving children, women and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
The manifesto sets a two-year deadline for that measure.
On the death penalty, the document proposes that it should be applied in capital cases only after all appeals have been exhausted and strict safeguards against wrongful convictions have been met. The proposed measure would be introduced within six months.
The coalition also promises to complete the core security-sector reforms needed for Gambian security forces to assume national security responsibilities and end reliance on ECOMIG forces within two years.
It proposes minimum standards for police presence, with priority given to growing urban and peri-urban communities.
The measure is scheduled for implementation within 12 months.
Other commitments cover transparent promotions, training, service conditions and career development in the Gambia Armed Forces, as well as improved equipment and logistical support for national defence.
Those military reforms are scheduled over three years, while expanded housing, medical care and family welfare support for security personnel would be pursued over five years. The proposals place community safety, the capacity of the security services and the independence of the justice system among the coalition’s stated priorities.
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