Kemo Bojang, Youth Councilor at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and spokesperson of the Unite Movement for Change (UMC), has firmly denied allegations that he and other members of the movement are being financially influenced or paid by Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda.
Bojang described the accusations as baseless and a reflection of a misunderstanding of personal and political conviction.
“You cannot pay 20,000 people, and for me, I can assure you that I have never received a dime directly as a form of a bribe or as a form of token from Talib,” he stated.
He explained that his decision to join the Unite Movement for Change was driven by personal conviction and a belief in the need for young people to reshape the country’s political culture.
“We have joined the movement because we believe that we are charting our own path, and we believe as young people we need to find new ways of politicking,” he said.
According to Bojang, The Gambia’s political environment has long been toxic, dominated by insults, personal attacks, and divisive rhetoric rather than issues that affect ordinary citizens. The UMC, he said, aims to change that narrative by promoting issue-based politics and constructive dialogue.
Addressing critics who accuse him of betraying the United Democratic Party (UDP), Bojang clarified that his departure was not an act of disloyalty but a reflection of political growth and evolution.
“I did not betray the UDP. When I joined the party, no one asked me to. I joined because I believed it was a political home I could identify with,” he explained.
He expressed gratitude to the UDP for the opportunities it provided, but emphasized that it was time for him to pursue a new political direction.
Bojang revealed that after losing his position at the 2022 UDP Congress, he remained loyal to the party despite being marginalized due to his perceived closeness to Mayor Bensouda.
“I do not have any personal issues with anyone in the party, but I just believe that maybe I am not where I was once held in the party, and I believe that the party was supposed to evolve, and it did not. Today, those calling us betrayers have forgotten that the NCP was formed the same way by branching from the PPP under Sheriff Mustapha Dibba; they who majority make up the UDP today left with SM Dibba. If it wasn’t betrayal then, it cannot be betrayal today,” he argued.
Bojang added that leaving an established political party to form a new one without any guarantee of success requires courage, not treachery.
“I also find it confusing when people say betrayal when you’re leaving an already established party to form a new establishment without any guarantee of success or gains. Members of my former party are mistaking ambition and bravery for betrayal,” he said.
He concluded by calling on members and supporters of the Unite Movement for Change to remain focused on addressing national challenges and to avoid engaging in political hostility.
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