Banjulians have taken to the streets carrying candles in protest over what residents described as a prolonged 24-hour power outage, turning parts of the capital into a scene of anger and frustration.

The protest, led by Banjul North National Assembly Member Modou Lamin Bah, saw residents chanting for the electricity supply to be restored.

“Bring back power, we are tired of the darkness,” protesters chanted.

The demonstrators also shouted: “Banjulians deserve better,” as frustration over the prolonged outage boiled over.

Electricity has been unavailable in several parts of the Greater Banjul Area since the morning, leaving households and businesses grappling with the disruption.

The candle-lit protest reflects growing public concern over The Gambia’s persistent electricity problems, with residents increasingly demanding reliable power from the authorities.

The latest outage comes only days after President Adama Barrow said his government was working to address the country’s electricity challenges.

President Barrow recently announced that three power generators were being imported into the country as part of measures to strengthen electricity supply.

The government has repeatedly pointed to investments and interventions in the energy sector, while acknowledging the difficulties facing the national power supply.

But the latest disruption has renewed criticism from political opponents.

Coalition 2026 flagbearer Talib Ahmed Bensouda used a rally in Brikama on Sunday to attack the government’s handling of the electricity crisis.

Bensouda accused President Barrow of failing to resolve the country’s power problems since taking office in 2017.

He proposed liberalising and eventually selling the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) to operators he said could run the utility more efficiently.

The electricity crisis is now emerging as a major political issue ahead of the December presidential election, with the government defending its investments while opposition figures point to continuing outages as evidence that more needs to be done.

For residents in Banjul, however, the political arguments offer little comfort when the lights go out.

By Adama Makasuba