By Assan Bah
Leaders in Manjai Kunda have appealed to President Adama Barrow to intervene in an ongoing dispute over Manjai Park, which they allege is being sold or leased to a private individual without the community’s consent.
The appeal was made at a joint meeting in Manjai on Sunday, 18 October 2026, attended by cabinet ministers, local authorities, women and young people.
Speaking on behalf of the youth, Mustapha Manneh outlined the history of the park and how it was developed and managed by the Manjai community.
He said the park was developed under the former regime, with support from Lie Conteh, a former mayor of the Kanifing Municipality, who he said helped the community fence the field.
“The park was managed by us, the people of Manjai, through selected executive bodies,” Manneh said.
He explained that concerns about the park began when a ward councillor informed him of plans to sell or lease the land to a man identified as Hamza Barry for 10 years.
“The issue started when a ward councillor told me that there were plans to sell or lease the park to one Hamza Barry for 10 years,” he said.
Manneh said the youth subsequently reported the matter to the mayor of Kanifing Municipality, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, who told them that the park belonged to the community and that no third party could sell it. However, Manneh said the mayor also indicated that he could not provide a permanent solution to the dispute.
“We then reported the matter to Hamat Bah, Minister of Lands, Local Government and Religious Affairs, and appealed for his intervention,” Manneh said.
He said the minister promised to intervene through the executive coordinator of the Kanifing Municipal Council. However, Manneh said the youth and the executive coordinator disagreed on some issues, preventing them from reaching a lasting solution.
“We couldn’t agree with the coordinator on some of the issues. As a result, no lasting solution was achieved,” he said.
Manneh said the dispute had now reached the courts, a development he believed could have been avoided if the matter had been resolved earlier.
“The matter is currently in court, which we believe shouldn’t have reached there in the first place. We are now appealing to the President,” he said.
He urged President Barrow to help the community reclaim the park, saying it had served an important purpose for the people of Manjai.
“The park is owned and developed by us, the people of Manjai. We are urging the President to help us reclaim our park, as it benefits us a lot,” Manneh said.
The Manjai youth representative’s appeal was echoed by the Manjai Kunda Alkalo, Ismaila Camara, who also called on the President to intervene.
“We have another problem, and that is where we are ‘Park Gi Manjai’. They have cried about this park, and we want you [Mr President] to help us solve the issue,” Camara said.
Responding to the concerns raised about the park, Hamat N.K. Bah, the Minister of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, acknowledged the community’s complaints and said the matter had previously been referred to the executive coordinator.
“I have heard your concerns,” Bah said.
He explained that the executive coordinator had been asked to engage the youth and report back to the ministry so that a decision could be taken. The minister said he understood that there had been discussions about signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU), but promised to revisit the matter and consult the youth on their concerns.
“But we will go back to the matter. It was stated that you had already agreed to sign an MoU, but we will look into the matter again and discuss with the youth what they want to be addressed lawfully,” Bah said.
His remarks offered the community an opportunity for further engagement with the ministry as the dispute continues.