January 2022
Raped and brutalised: Penny Appeal orphans long wait for no justice
Hundreds of orphans have been abused and exploited in orphanages operating illegally in the Gambia for six years. The main culprits are Penny Appeal, a UK-based international charity with injured reputation and a possible con artist in philanthropic clothing. He operates a chain of businesses and charities, raking in profits on the backs of the orphans under his care. The children want justice for the rape and mistreatment meted out on them. But they might as well be waiting for justice that may never arrive. With the perpetrators allegedly using money, influence and threats of marabouts, the state authorities have retreated, if...
December 2021
8 Children, Dozens Of Women Among Nearly 200 People Unlawfully Killed By Ex-President Jammeh – TRRC
The Gambia’s former president Yahya Jammeh has murdered or unlawfully killed nearly two hundred people during his 22-year rule, the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) reveals in its report made public on Friday. In total though, at least 240 were found to have been murdered by state agents under his rule. But will the Barrow administration implement the report in the face of political considerations? The inquiry hasn’t provided disaggregated information in terms of sex and age, but as per Malagen’s count, those killed include at least eight children and dozens of women. Some of the children are as young...
FACT SHEET: Did President Barrow construct over 600 km of paved roads in 5 years?
The Gambian leader Adama Barrow has won last month's presidential election with 53% percent to secure a second five-year mandate. The Gambian leader attributes his election success to his infrastructure projects across the country in the first term. The claim At his first press conference with journalists after the election, Barrow reiterated that claim he made throughout the campaign that he is on course to outperforming former presidents Dawda Kairaba Jawara and Yahya Jammeh combined in terms of infrastructural development. He claimed he has done over 600 kilometers of paved tar roads in his first term. “For example, after 52 years of independence, when we...
FACT-CHECK: Has Prez Barrow reduced power cuts from 19 times a day to 3 times a day during his first term in office?
Claim: President Barrow's government has reduced power cuts from 19 times a day in 2017 to three times a day in 2021 Source: Adama Barrow Verdict: FALSE For the first time in 3 years, president-elect Adama Barrow engaged journalists at the State House on December 7- his last press conference was in August 2018. It was also his first press conference since winning the December 4 presidential elections with 53% of total votes cast. During the media engagement (7:03), the Gambian leader, touting his achievements, in his first five-year term, said he has reduced frequent power cuts from 19 times a day in 2017 to 2 times a day...
Was President elect Barrow’s response to a Malagen question entirely correct?
Claim: the Auditor General’s office ONLY recommended that missing diplomatic passport books should be cancelled Source: President elect Adama Barrow Verdict: false On December 7, president elect Adama Barrow faced journalists at State House for the first time since his press conference in August 2018. It was also his first press conference since winning the December 4 presidential elections with a 53% margin. During the interview (50:14), the Malagen journalist asked if Barrow would, as recommended by the Auditor General, cancel the diplomatic passports in circulation and issue new ones. In 2017, when Barrow took over, he has found 271 diplomatic passports in circulation. In 2019, Barrow administration issued 1,175 diplomatic...
Gambians renew President Barrow’s mandate ‘free and fair polls’, but opposition do not accept defeat
The Independent Electoral Commission has declared incumbent Adama Barrow as winner of the presidential elections held over the weekend. But three of the five opposition contenders, including his main rival Ousainou Darboe, had rejected the results in polls that have been judged as free, fair, and transparent. “I am going to win with the biggest landslide in history,” Barrow told journalists after casting his vote Saturday morning, before going on to win 457,519 votes, representing 53 percent of votes cast. His nearest rival Ousainou Darboe scored 238,253 votes, representing 27.7 percent of the votes cast. This is the second biggest presidential election...
Who will win the race to State House
On paper, President Adama Barrow is the candidate to beat. He has consistently led in the polls. He enjoys the support of a grand coalition; one bigger than the group that backed him to victory five years ago, at least in terms of the number of political entities. If each of the coalition partners pulled their weight, Barrow will not be within sight of his opponents. However, what will happen on the ground could be different. The eleventh-hour resurgence of PDOIS’ Halifa Sallah and GDC’s Mama Kandeh as well the incursion of newbie Essa Faal into what is supposed to be...
Fake news alert! UDP has not filed a petition at the Supreme Court
There is an audio going viral on WhatsApp groups claiming the United Democratic Party has filed a petition at the Supreme Court against the December 4 presidential election results.The December 4 presidential election in the Gambia has given President Adama Barrow a lead, amassing 53% of the votes cast. All but two major contenders, the Gambia Democratic Congress and United Democratic Party, have contested the results of the polls declared free and fair by local and international observers. A voice of an unnamed individual calling for a protest and violence is saying there is a UDP petition coming at the...