Alkamba native & first Gambian to have a Ph.D. degree died aged 90 

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Death has been announced of Dr. Lamin J Marenah, a former close aide to ex-President Sir Dawda Kairaba and the first Gambian believed to have bagged Ph.D. in agriculture and served both United Nations and Gambia government for more than three decades. He has died aged 90, his family announced. 
Reacting to the sad news, Dr. Marenah’s son, Yankuba Marenah, said: ” He will forever be missed but will remain in our hearts always and continue to be our guiding light.”
According to Pa Bora Ceesay, Kudang historian, the late Dr. Marenah was a former staff of the Department of Agriculture who was very instrumental in the formation of the ‘Jahally Pacharr Rice Project,’ the former FAO Regional Director for Africa, the first Chairman of The Gambia University’s Governing Council.
“Dr. Lamin J. Marenah (Dr. Lamin Jonsaba Marenah) is believed to be the first Gambian to write his Ph.D. thesis, more so in the field of Agriculture.
Many also have it that he was the one who recommended Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara for the presidency when he was approached to lead the then-PPP government.
And one thing is clear, he was and remains one of the most trusted friends of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara until his passing in the year 2019, culminating in his being given the honor of paying tribute to Sir Dawda during his state funeral.
As his death is announced today, the people of Kudang/Alkamba join the rest of The Gambia, Africa, and the world to celebrate the life and contributions of one its pioneering native, top-notch intellectual and a true patriot.” The young Kudang historian said of the late Dr. Marenah.
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Mr. Sainey M.K. Marenah is a Prominent Gambian journalist, founding editor The Alkamba Times and formerly head of communications at the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) and Communications and PR Consultant for The Gambia Pilot Program, under Gamworks. Mr. Marenah served as the Social media Strategist and Editor at Gambia Radio and Television Services. He is also the Banjul Correspondent for Voice of America Radio. Sainey is a human rights and developmental journalist who has carved a strong niche particularly in new media environments in the Gambian media industry. Mr. Marenah began his career as a junior reporter with the Point Newspaper in the Gambia in 2008 and rose through the ranks to become Chief correspondent before moving to The Standard Newspaper also in Banjul as Editorial Assistant and head of News. He is a household name in the Gambia’s media industry having covered some of the most important stories in the former and current government. These include the high profile treason cases including the Trial of Former military chiefs in Banjul in 2009 to 2012. Following his arrest and imprisonment by the former regime of President, Yahya Jammeh in 2014, Marenah moved to Dakar Senegal where he continues to practice Journalism freelancing for various local and international Media organization’s including the BBC, Al-Jazeera, VOA, and ZDF TV in Germany among others. He is the co-Founder of the Banjul Based Media Center for Research and Development; an institution specialized in research and development undertakings. As a journalist and Communication Expert, focused on supporting the Gambia's transitional process, Mr Marenah continues to play a pivotal role in shaping a viable media and communications platform that engages necessary tools and action to increase civic participation and awareness of the needs of transitional governance to strengthen the current move towards democratization. Mr. Marenah has traveled extensively as a professional journalist in both Europe, Africa and United States and attended several local and international media trainings.

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