PUBLIC PETITION TO PRESIDENT ADAMA BARROW
The Issue
PUBLIC PETITION TO PRESIDENT ADAMA BARROW
THE GAMBIAN PEOPLE DEMAND ANSWERS AND RELIABLE ELECTRICITY
To: His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia
We, the undersigned citizens, and residents of The Gambia and Gambians in the Diaspora, deeply concerned about the persistent and worsening electricity crisis, call on you, Mr. President to address the nation and provide clear, factual, and documented answers on the state of electricity since 2017.
For months, citizens have endured persistent power cuts despite purchasing cash power and having sufficient units in their meters. Load shedding has become not only routine but increasingly unpredictable and inconsistent, making it difficult for households, businesses, and workers to plan their daily lives, work, and livelihoods. This situation imposes unnecessary costs and disruption on citizens who have already paid for the electricity they are unable to access.
Reliable electricity is essential to healthcare, education, livelihoods, businesses, water supply, communication, security, and the enjoyment of fundamental rights. The Government and relevant institutions therefore have a responsibility to ensure reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity and to account for the public resources committed to the sector.
WE DEMAND ANSWERS TO 9 QUESTIONS:
1. What happened?
What are the true facts, causes and government decisions behind the persistent electricity crisis since 2017?
2. Karpower
How much has Karpower cost The Gambia, including payments, arrears, and other obligations, and what was the Government’s exit strategy? Why did its departure leave the country in such an energy crisis?
3. Senelec
How much has The Gambia paid Senelec, how much remains owed, and what is the Government’s exit strategy from dependence on imported electricity from Senegal?
4. Contracts
Why have the Government’s electricity contracts and agreements with Karpower and Senelec not been fully disclosed to the public? Publish them.
5. Guinea/EDG
What is the exact arrangement with Électricité de Guinée (EDG) – its cost, duration, obligations, financing and exit strategy, and what exactly was agreed during the President’s latest visit to Conakry?
6. Kotu and Brikama
What is preventing the Kotu and Brikama power stations from operating at full capacity? Provide the technical and financial facts. When exactly will Kotu and Brikama return to full operational capacity? Give us a specific date and implementation plan.
7. Billions Spent
How much has been received, borrowed, committed, and spent on electricity since 2017? What projects were funded, what did they achieve, and who is accountable for failures and waste?
8. 24/7 Electricity
After almost a decade in office, what exact date will this Government deliver reliable, stable, and sustainable 24/7 electricity?
9. Consequences
What accountability measures will apply if the Government fails to meet that deadline?
WE ALSO CALL FOR INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
We call on the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, NAWEC, PURA, GCCPC and the National Assembly to fulfil their respective constitutional, legal, and institutional responsibilities, including policy leadership, effective utility management, regulation and consumer protection, scrutiny of public resources, and parliamentary oversight.
OUR DEMAND
Mr. President, Gambians are tired of blackouts, explanations and promises.
After nearly ten years of your Administration, the people deserve truth, transparency, reliable electricity, and accountability.
We therefore demand that the President address the nation, disclose the facts and contracts, account for the billions committed to the sector, present a credible national electricity plan, and give the Gambian people a specific date for reliable 24/7 electricity, with clear consequences if that commitment is not met.
This engagement with the people is intended not only to help them understand the situation, but also to provide clarity and reassurance. It will strengthen public confidence by ensuring citizens are informed about what is happening and what to expect. It will also help them better prepare and plan their lives and livelihoods under the prevailing circumstances.
THE GAMBIA DESERVES POWER. THE PEOPLE DESERVE ANSWERS.
THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE.
8th September 2026, The Gambia
1,333
The Issue
PUBLIC PETITION TO PRESIDENT ADAMA BARROW
THE GAMBIAN PEOPLE DEMAND ANSWERS AND RELIABLE ELECTRICITY
To: His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia
We, the undersigned citizens, and residents of The Gambia and Gambians in the Diaspora, deeply concerned about the persistent and worsening electricity crisis, call on you, Mr. President to address the nation and provide clear, factual, and documented answers on the state of electricity since 2017.
For months, citizens have endured persistent power cuts despite purchasing cash power and having sufficient units in their meters. Load shedding has become not only routine but increasingly unpredictable and inconsistent, making it difficult for households, businesses, and workers to plan their daily lives, work, and livelihoods. This situation imposes unnecessary costs and disruption on citizens who have already paid for the electricity they are unable to access.
Reliable electricity is essential to healthcare, education, livelihoods, businesses, water supply, communication, security, and the enjoyment of fundamental rights. The Government and relevant institutions therefore have a responsibility to ensure reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity and to account for the public resources committed to the sector.
WE DEMAND ANSWERS TO 9 QUESTIONS:
1. What happened?
What are the true facts, causes and government decisions behind the persistent electricity crisis since 2017?
2. Karpower
How much has Karpower cost The Gambia, including payments, arrears, and other obligations, and what was the Government’s exit strategy? Why did its departure leave the country in such an energy crisis?
3. Senelec
How much has The Gambia paid Senelec, how much remains owed, and what is the Government’s exit strategy from dependence on imported electricity from Senegal?
4. Contracts
Why have the Government’s electricity contracts and agreements with Karpower and Senelec not been fully disclosed to the public? Publish them.
5. Guinea/EDG
What is the exact arrangement with Électricité de Guinée (EDG) – its cost, duration, obligations, financing and exit strategy, and what exactly was agreed during the President’s latest visit to Conakry?
6. Kotu and Brikama
What is preventing the Kotu and Brikama power stations from operating at full capacity? Provide the technical and financial facts. When exactly will Kotu and Brikama return to full operational capacity? Give us a specific date and implementation plan.
7. Billions Spent
How much has been received, borrowed, committed, and spent on electricity since 2017? What projects were funded, what did they achieve, and who is accountable for failures and waste?
8. 24/7 Electricity
After almost a decade in office, what exact date will this Government deliver reliable, stable, and sustainable 24/7 electricity?
9. Consequences
What accountability measures will apply if the Government fails to meet that deadline?
WE ALSO CALL FOR INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY
We call on the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, NAWEC, PURA, GCCPC and the National Assembly to fulfil their respective constitutional, legal, and institutional responsibilities, including policy leadership, effective utility management, regulation and consumer protection, scrutiny of public resources, and parliamentary oversight.
OUR DEMAND
Mr. President, Gambians are tired of blackouts, explanations and promises.
After nearly ten years of your Administration, the people deserve truth, transparency, reliable electricity, and accountability.
We therefore demand that the President address the nation, disclose the facts and contracts, account for the billions committed to the sector, present a credible national electricity plan, and give the Gambian people a specific date for reliable 24/7 electricity, with clear consequences if that commitment is not met.
This engagement with the people is intended not only to help them understand the situation, but also to provide clarity and reassurance. It will strengthen public confidence by ensuring citizens are informed about what is happening and what to expect. It will also help them better prepare and plan their lives and livelihoods under the prevailing circumstances.
THE GAMBIA DESERVES POWER. THE PEOPLE DESERVE ANSWERS.
THE GOVERNMENT MUST BE ACCOUNTABLE.
8th September 2026, The Gambia
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Petition created on September 8, 2026