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 assessed our roads country wide, the tar roads we have in this country, paved roads [was] 800 kilometers, and we were able to do about 600-plus kilometers within five years,” he said.

“If you take the ratio between these periods for 50 years, the previous governments were doing 15 kilometers a year. In our assessment, we did 150 kilometers every year.”

Analysis

We have taken records of all the lists of roads that are inaugurated under Barrow, those that are being built and those for whom funding has been secured (approved) but have not started yet.

We provide a list of these roads and their kilometers below. 

Roads that are completed

• A 4.60 km Latrikunda Sabiji—Sukuta road (OIC urban roads)
• A 120 km Lamin Koto -Passamas road 
• A 13 km Yorobalwol to Basse road 
• An 18 km Bush Town Kaleng road
• A 56 km Basse-Fatoto-Koina road 
• A 20 km Sukuta— Jambanjelly road 
• A 5.2 km Farato – Jambur road (done by NRA) 

Total: 236.8 kilometers of roads 

Roads that have started

• An 84km Nuimi Hakalang road
• A 38 km Ngain Sanjal to Bambally and Saba Sukuta
• An 87km Kiang Roads (phase 1 and 2) 
• A 5.2 km Farato – Jambur (By NRA using fuel levy)

A 21 km Banjul Rehabilitation Project (90% completed)

A 48 km Kaur Jimbala and phase 2 Kaur to Serre Oldy

Total:  283.2 kilometers of roads

Roads approved but not started 

• A 4km Tujereng to Kunkujang Mariama (to be done by NRA from fuel levy)
• 20 roads of 50 km OIC-sponsored urban roads(most roads at preparatory stage)
• A 24 km road—improving Bertil Harding Highways to a triple carriage-ways
• A 16km Banni to Njaba Kunda road (to be done by NRA from fuel levy)
• A 12km Brufut-Madiana- Ba-nyakang road (to be done by NRA from fuel levy)

Total: 120 kilometers of roads

If all these roads are completed, Barrow would have completed 640 kilometers of roads across the country. As of now, it appears the President is counting kilometers of roads done and due to be done to make up for over 600 kilometers he claimed to have built. However, the total kilometers of roads finished between 2017 to 2021 is more than 236.8 km, if one counts the kilometers completed of roads being constructed.

Road renovations/ improvement works

The National Road Authority (NRA) collects a fuel levy, D3 on liters of fuel bought at fuel stations, to do new roads and renovation works. As part of this process, the following roads were renovated from 2017 to now.

• A 2.6km Churchill’s Town Abuko diversion
• A 3km Brusubi Phase 2 Access Road
• A 2.4km Bansang Town Access Road….
• A 3.6km Janjanbureh Town Access Road
• A 1.1 km Kanifing Estate Access Road…
• A 1km Iceman/Julbrew Road
• A 2km Bakau Sanchaba Road

Totals: 15.7 kilometers of roads renovated