20/12/2024
I was pleased to yesterday visit Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) in the Gambia at the invitation of Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda. The visit, facilitated under the framework of the Kanifing-Freetown Sister City Protocols and with support from C40 Cities aligns with one of my priorities as Co-Chair – extending the influence of C40 Cities beyond the C40 network.
The visit started with an inspection of a guard of honor by the KMC Metropolitan Police after which I was presented with the “Key to Kanifing Municipality”. Mayor Bensouda and I held a brief bilateral meeting and a press conference before attending a General Council Meeting with KMC councilors.
In the ensuing discussions we spoke about FreetownTheTreeTown, the Freetown wastewater treatment plant and briquettes’ production, sanitation challenges and our efforts to address these. We also reiterated our commitment to youth empowerment as embedded in Freetown’s Transform Freetown – Transforming Lives Development Agenda.
Yesterday’s engagements climaxed with a visit to the newly constructed Kanifing Municipal Library. Opened just two weeks ago, it serves a diverse audience, including children, university students, and persons with disabilities. The library also provides spaces for arts and cultural exhibitions and skills development.
As I extend my sincere thanks to my brother Mayor Bensouda, we will continue to deepen our climate action and broader experience sharing between the two cities. We are already planning a technical level working visit for 2025!
