By Ebrima Mbaye
In 2019, the Gambia government announced that it would distribute tractors seized from former President Yahya Jammeh to local councils sparked hope among rural farmers. For communities reliant on backbreaking manual labor, these machines promised a leap toward mechanized farming and food self-sufficiency. Six years later, however, that promise lies buried under a cloud of opacity, unequal distribution, and suspicion. Far from serving the public good, the allocation of these tractors—reclaimed through the Janneh Commission of Inquiry—has fueled allegations of political favoritism, mismanagement, and lost opportunity. This investigation reveals how a well-intentioned initiative inadvertently perpetuated systemic inequality in The Gambia.
A Promise Unfulfilled in Rural Gambia
Modou Jallow, a rice farmer in Boiram, Central River Region (CRR), speaks with weary frustration. “They told us tractors were coming to ease our work. We heard it at a council meeting, but we never saw one,” he says. His words echo a broader sentiment across rural Gambia, where agrarian communities have been largely bypassed in the distribution of tractors, despite being the backbone of the nation’s agriculture.
Official records reveal stark disparities. A Ministry of Justice document dated February 26, 2019, titled “Tractors Allocated and Sold to Councils,” details the distribution:
West Coast Region (WCR): 8 tractors (free)
Central River Region (CRR): 5 tractors (free)
Upper River Region (URR): 4 tractors (free)
North Bank Region (NBR): 4 tractors (free)
Lower River Region (LRR): 3 tractors (free)
Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC): 11 tractors (paid D100,000 each)
Banjul City Council (BCC): 3 tractors (paid)
While rural councils received tractors at no cost, urban councils, such as KMC and BCC, with minimal agricultural needs, were allocated fewer but were required to pay for them. This discrepancy raises questions about the logic behind the distribution and whether political considerations trump practical needs.
Missing Tractors and Murky Records
In Basse, Upper River Region, the confusion deepens. Foday Manneh, Public Relations Officer for the Basse Area Council, confirms that only one tractor is currently operational. “We can only account for one tractor from the Commission,” he says. “There was no handover note from the previous administration to verify if we received the four tractors listed.” This lack of documentation plagues multiple councils, leaving the fate of many tractors untraceable.
Similarly, a councilor from Janjangbureh Area Council in CRR, speaking anonymously due to political sensitivities, reveals, “We only have one tractor. My authorities say they’re unaware of any others, and there’s no record of a handover.” Official records claim CRR received five tractors, yet the council’s account suggests a significant shortfall. The absence of clear documentation underscores a troubling pattern of mismanagement.
In contrast, the Mansakonko Area Council in LRR provides a rare example of transparency. A letter dated November 29, 2018, signed by Ramatoulie Sarr, Assistant Secretary to the Janneh Commission, confirms the handover of three tractors. The document includes handwritten annotations referencing equipment codes, such as “TRUE-343” and “Wix 172”; however, the meaning of these codes remains unclear. Despite this paper trail, current officials could not confirm the tractors’ current state or use, highlighting a lack of follow-up monitoring.
Mystery over the missing tractors at the Kuntaur Area Council
Meanwhile, two tractors donated to the Kuntaur Area Council by the government through the Janneh Commission, intended to bolster the council’s waste collection and sanitation efforts, have reportedly gone missing, sparking concerns and allegations of mismanagement.
Sources close to the council, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed to The Alkamba Times (TAT) that the tractors, originally belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh, were never utilized for their intended purpose and have now disappeared without any official statement from council authorities.
According to insiders, the tractors were left idle since their arrival at the council and neglected until their recent disappearance from public view.
One source alleged that an attempt to sell one of the tractors led to its impoundment by the Kaur Police, while the second tractor, previously parked at the council’s former offices in Wassu, has also gone missing.
The issue came to light last week when Councilor Momodou Barry of Kuntaur Ward raised the matter during a council meeting, pressing for answers from Chairman Saihou Jawara, the Director of Finance, and the Director of Planning, all of whom reportedly claimed ignorance about the tractors’ whereabouts.
A councilor, who also requested anonymity, confirmed that the tractors were donated through the Janneh Commission to support the council’s operations. “One tractor is currently at Kaur Police Station, impounded after an attempted sale, while the other, which was at our Wassu office, disappeared last week,” the councilor told TAT. The matter has been reported to Kuntaur Police Station, which is now investigating the disappearance.
The councilor further disclosed that the council had discussed forming an auction committee to sell the tractors, with plans to use the proceeds to purchase vehicles for the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
However, no sale was officially authorized. “We agreed to set up an auction committee, but nothing was finalized. When Councilor Barry brought this up, the Chairman, Director of Finance, and Director of Planning all said they knew nothing about the missing tractor at Wassu,” said Councilor Sorrie Darboe, head of the council’s development committee.
In response to the allegations, CEO Momodou Sambou, currently out of the country, dismissed claims of the tractors’ disappearance as “false.” He insisted that no assets could be sold. At the same time, the Local Government Commission’s work is ongoing, and it has promised to provide evidence upon its return to prove the tractors remain in the council’s possession.
Efforts to reach Chairman Saihou Jawara for comment were unsuccessful, as he declined to respond to inquiries. The Kuntaur Police Station has confirmed that it is investigating the matter, but no further details were provided at the time of press.
Political Optics Over Practical Need
The unequal distribution has sparked accusations of political bias. Urban councils, such as KMC, with limited agricultural activity, received disproportionate allocations. A KMC insider, speaking anonymously, admits, “Many tractors sit unused in garages or are repurposed for waste collection. It was more about optics than utility.” This misallocation contrasts sharply with the dire needs of rural farmers, who continue to rely on outdated tools and borrowed livestock.
Dr. Kunjang Seedia (pseudonym), a governance lecturer at the University of The Gambia, argues that the distribution reflects deeper systemic issues. “When opposition-leaning councils receive fewer resources or face higher costs, it suggests political punishment disguised as policy,” he says. “This undermines both development and democratic trust.”
Denials and Demands for Accountability
Adding to the controversy, several council leaders have publicly denied receiving the listed tractors. Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda of KMC insists his council never received the 11 tractors attributed to it. “There’s no record of such deliveries,” he states, noting that KMC relies on two aging tractors and 30 independently acquired waste management vehicles. Similarly, Brikama Area Council (BAC) Chairman Yankuba Darboe expresses shock at claims that BAC received eight tractors. “This is news to me,” he says. “No one at BAC can confirm such an allocation.”
Most strikingly, Banjul City Council Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe alleges that her council paid D300,000 for three tractors that were never delivered. “The reports are untrue,” she says, demanding a full refund from the government. These denials, coupled with BAC’s failure to respond to formal information requests sent on May 21, 2025, deepen public distrust.
The Kurang Sale: A Breach of Trust
The mystery surrounding the tractors turned darker with revelations about their sale. A February 26, 2019, report by Fatou Drammeh, Assistant Secretary to the Janneh Commission, confirms that 43 tractors were sold under former Commission Secretary Mamadi Kurang, generating D10,523,000. Yet, no public auction records, buyer details, or information on how the funds were used have been disclosed. This lack of transparency has fueled public outrage and questions about whether the asset recovery process prioritizes public interest.
When contacted, the National Audit Office offered little clarity. An officer stated via email, “Financial audits of local government authorities from 2019 to 2021 do not mention donated assets.” This gap in oversight further erodes confidence in the process.
A Legacy of Missed Opportunities
The tractors seized as part of the Janneh Commission’s efforts to recover assets misappropriated by Yahya Jammeh were meant to symbolize justice and equitable development. Instead, their mismanaged distribution has deepened rural-urban divides and exposed governance flaws. For farmers like Modou Jallow, the tractors remain a distant rumor. “All I want is to grow enough food for my family,” he says. “I don’t care where the help comes from, but it never came.”
Despite formal requests for data from councils and the Ministry of Justice, the government’s silence on these issues only amplifies suspicions of political manipulation. Civil society groups are now pressing for a comprehensive audit of the asset recovery process, demanding answers on allocation criteria, the whereabouts of tractors, and the use of sale proceeds.
A Call for Transparency
The saga of Jammeh’s tractors underscores broader challenges in The Gambia’s transitional justice process. Without robust documentation, independent oversight, and clear communication, even well-intentioned initiatives risk becoming tools of inequality. The tractors represent a missed opportunity for rural farmers to transform agriculture and alleviate poverty. For the nation, they symbolize a failure to break free from the opaque governance of the past.
If the government fails to account for these assets, Jammeh’s legacy of tractors will remain one of broken promises and eroded trust. The Gambian people deserve clarity, accountability, and a commitment to equitable development, starting with the truth about where the tractors went and why.
