Press release
The management of the Kanifing Municipal Council has taken note of the video circulating widely on social media purporting to show the sanitary conditions at Latrikunda Market.
We wish to categorically state that the video does not represent the present condition of the market. The footage is several months old and shows conditions that existed before the interventions currently being undertaken by the Council. Presenting old footage as though it reflects the current situation is misleading and creates an inaccurate impression of the work being undertaken by the Council.
KMC has not ignored the sanitation challenges at Latrikunda Market. On the contrary, the council has taken concrete action.
A dedicated soak-away system is currently being constructed at the market specifically to address the drainage and sanitation problems highlighted in the old footage. Resources have been committed and work is ongoing.
Temporary waste collection delays
KMC also wishes to clarify the operational challenges currently affecting waste collection in some parts of the municipality.
The recent rains have significantly affected access to the designated dumpsite. The condition of the access road becomes extremely difficult during periods of heavy rainfall, making it inaccessible to heavy waste-collection vehicles. On several occasions, waste trucks have become stuck while attempting to access or operate within the dumpsite, resulting in delays to the normal waste collection cycle.
The council is actively managing the situation and working to minimise the disruption to waste collection. We ask residents and market vendors for their patience and cooperation while these challenges persist.
It is therefore important that public debate on sanitation is based on facts, current conditions and the actual interventions taking place on the ground not recycled footage or incomplete narratives designed to create political controversy or undermine the work of the local authority.
Coordination between government institutions matters.
KMC fully recognises the Central Government as an essential partner in addressing public health, sanitation and environmental challenges. However, partnership must be based on respect for institutional mandates, communication and coordination.
Against this background, KMC finds it deeply concerning that the Ministry of Health visited Latrikunda Market on Thursday, 27th August 2026, without prior consultation or notification to the Kanifing Municipal Council, despite KMC being the local authority responsible for municipal markets within Kanifing.
This raises a legitimate question: If the objective is genuinely to improve public health and sanitation, why would an inspection of a municipal market be undertaken without engaging the municipal authority responsible for that market?
Government institutions should not work in silos, particularly when dealing with issues that directly affect the health and livelihoods of our citizens.
We cannot build effective public institutions by allowing one arm of government to inspect, criticise or pronounce on the work of another without first engaging the institution legally responsible for that work.
KMC welcomes scrutiny. We welcome constructive criticism. And we welcome the involvement of national institutions in improving public health.
But scrutiny must be fair, current and coordinated.
KMC will continue to deliver. The people of Kanifing deserve local government that does not simply talk about problems but identifies them, invests in solutions and delivers results.
The council will therefore not be distracted by the circulation of outdated footage or attempts to create a false impression about the state of municipal markets.
Our responsibility is to the residents, vendors and taxpayers of Kanifing — and we will continue to discharge that responsibility.
KMC reassures market vendors, residents and the wider public that the health, safety and dignity of our communities remain a top priority.
The ongoing works at Latrikunda Market will continue, including the construction of the dedicated soak-away system, while the council continues to invest in improved sanitation, waste management and environmental services across all municipal markets.
We call on all government institutions to put politics and institutional rivalry aside and work together in the interest of the Gambian people.
Kanifing Municipal Council remains committed to delivering clean, safe and dignified markets for the people of Kanifing.
KMC Communications Unit