The minister of Regional Administration, Lands and Traditional Rulers recently toured the Kanifing Municipality as part of his nationwide familiarisation tour of departments under his purview, a press release from KMC announced.

Momodou Aki Bayo specifically visited some dumpsites in the Municipality and the Bakoteh landfill to assess the way that the KMC is coping with the refuse situation occasioned by an unprecedented growth of the urban population in the last decade.

Addressing Municipal authorities and local stakeholders at a gathering held at the KMC Head Office, Minister Bayo described KMC as a pacesetter in regional governance in The Gambia and praised the people of the Municipality for being staunch supporters of the APRC regime and its development objectives.

He said if all councils were administered in the way the KMC is driven under the current leadership, his ministry would be faced with less constraint.He particularly saluted Mustapha M Njai, the chief executive officer of KMC, as an exemplary leader and a doyen in local governance with a wealth of experience.

Minister Bayo said even though land disputes are less common in the Kanifing Municipality, alkalos must remain vigilant in administering their various communities. He used the opportunity to call on the people of the Municipality to ensure that the choice of the people is respected in the selection of candidates in the forthcoming local government elections.

For his part, Mustapha M Njai, the chief executive officer of KMC, briefed the minister on the state of affairs of the Council, touching on all areas of their operations. He cited waste collection and disposal as the main challenge of the Council as it lacks the adequate resources to effectively manage the huge volume of waste generated in the Municipality daily.

CEO Njai also made mention of efforts by the Council to pay recurrent water and electricity bills of public amenities as well as settling outstanding arrears with NAWEC and other service providers. He said it is only through concerted efforts and regular payment of property rates and taxes that Councils can perform better, saying, KMC is determined to return taxpayers money in the form of efficient and responsive social services.