By Adama Makasuba
Gambian President Adama Barrow has proposed relocating the Serrekunda Sandinka market to a more suitable site following a fire that destroyed goods valued at millions of dalasis.
On Tuesday, President Barrow visited the damaged market, consoling affected shopkeepers and stall owners while pledging government support for those impacted. In remarks to reporters, he stated, “I believe the best way forward is to relocate the Sandinka market. However, this cannot be accomplished in isolation; we must work collaboratively with local councils. These markets must be modernized. As a developing nation, we must modernize ourselves.”
President Barrow also visited Latrikunda and Brikama, where he inspected two additional Sandinka markets that had suffered fire damage in recent months. He has ordered a thorough assessment of all three markets to gauge the destruction’s extent and ensure urgent assistance is provided. In the meantime, many vendors at the Serrekunda Sandinka market find themselves with little left after a nighttime fire devastated their stock.
The devastation is apparent as affected vendors find their stalls and shops destroyed by the fire. Mustapha Wadda, who lost his fruit shop valued at three hundred thousand dalasis, expressed his despair, stating, “I lost everything,” while calling for immediate government assistance.
While rumors suggest that an electrical spark may have initiated the blaze, Mr. Wadda suspects that a discarded cigarette butt might have been the culprit. “I believe a cigarette butt may have caused the fire,” he remarked.
Another impacted shopkeeper, Neneh Camara, voiced her frustration with the Kanifing Municipal Council, highlighting the decline of the Sandinka market. “The Kanifing Municipal Council is neglecting us. We receive nothing from the council, not even access to clean running water,” she lamented.
