Latest appointments: These technical profiles with proven political experience

Through the latest appointments made on Thursday, September 10, in the Council of Ministers, several readings emerge. Beyond the logic of continuity of the State and the renewal of certain strategic positions, these decisions carry a political signal: the Kiraay party is gradually strengthening and consolidating its apparatus.

If the appointments naturally respond to the operational imperatives of the administration and the State, their political significance nevertheless deserves to be examined more closely. Several of them recorded at the last council of ministers concern major figures on the national political scene. Some are among the founding members of Kiraay with experience and roots that make them significant players in the structuring of the new presidential party. A dynamic which could, ultimately, reshape internal balances and strengthen Kiraay’s capacity to project itself sustainably on the national political scene.

Me Moussa Diop, appointed General Delegate of Diamniadio urban centers

This professional lawyer previously held the position of Director General of Dakar Dem Dikk, under the presidency of Macky Sall. If their relations gradually weakened at the end of the latter’s reign, leading the person concerned to join the ranks of the opposition, the fact remains that he has long worked alongside the Alliance for the Republic (APR).

A man of words, with a keen sense of repartee, he remains a formidable debater, experienced in political and media contests. He also has a solid emotional and political anchor in his hometown of Podor, where he benefits from a relational and activist base likely to constitute an asset in any territorial establishment strategy. His appointment thus appears to be both a political and managerial choice. Through his experience in public management, his mastery of political debates and his territorial roots, he could constitute a significant reinforcement in the defense and implementation of the vision of the Head of State.

Babacar Abba Mbaye, appointed CEO of SONAGED

Babacar Abba Mbaye cut his teeth within the Socialist Party (PS), where he trained in the mysteries of politics, under the wing of Khalifa Ababacar Sall. When the latter was excluded from the PS, Abba Mbaye followed him in the creation of Taxawu Senegal, of which he quickly became one of the leading figures and one of the most constant defenders of the political line based on the socialist heritage.

Elected deputy under the banner of Yewwi Askan Wi, he gradually established himself as an identifiable voice in the opposition. Following the last legislative elections, however, he distanced himself from Taxawu Senegal, to launch his own political group, before joining the process of structuring Kiraay, of which he is today among the founding members.

Building on this background, marked by several important sequences of Senegalese political life, this tax lawyer joins Kiraay with considerable experience in electoral battles, political power relations and activist organization. His profile could thus constitute a strategic asset in the consolidation of the Kiraay party, particularly in the north of the country, in Saint Louis.

Modou Bara Gaye, appointed DG Dakar Dem Dikk

Bara Gaye is a pure product of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), where he climbed practically every level, reaching the highest responsibilities of the organization. His career has allowed him to know both the rigors of the opposition and the demands of exercising power, a dual experience which today constitutes significant political capital.

A former minister, this specialist in the management of development programs and projects has experience that transcends political apparatuses. Elected twice as mayor of Yeumbeul, he also gained experience in the management of local authorities and the realities of local politics. This experience gives him concrete knowledge of territorial dynamics, networks of influence and the mechanisms for mobilizing expertise.

Political strategist and expert in the mechanisms of structuring and running a party, Bara Gaye could thus play a decisive role in the consolidation of Kiraay. His experience, his electoral experience and his activist roots make him a strong reinforcement for the presidential party, in its structuring and deployment on the ground.

Gallo Ba, appointed DG AGEROUTE Senegal

This labor inspector has been mayor of Mbacké since January 2022 and also held the portfolio of Minister of Civil Service and Public Sector Transformation, from September 2022 to April 2024. This dual career, both institutional and territorial, gives him particularly useful experience in the new political configuration.

Mbacké is in fact one of the nerve centers of the national electoral map. A few kilometers from Touba, a town with a strong religious influence, its commune represents a strategic territory for any formation aiming to consolidate its presence in the center of the country. As such, its role could be decisive in the effective deployment of Kiraay in Mbacké and, more broadly, in its influence in this area with high electoral stakes.

A former head of the APR, Mr. Ba is not a novice in politics. His experience within a large organization, combined with his mandate as mayor and his time in government, gives him appreciable knowledge of political, institutional and territorial mechanisms.

Cheikh Issa Sall, appointed DG Agency for the Construction of Public Buildings and Buildings

Currently mayor of Mbour, Cheikh Issa Sall joined Kiraay and is even among the founding members of this new political formation. His career, at the crossroads of high administration, public management and local politics, makes him a particularly experienced profile within the new party.

Former magistrate of the Court of Auditors, he headed the Municipal Development Agency (ADM) from 2015 to 2023, before taking control of the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (CDC) in September 2023, a position he held until May 2024. This experience at the head of two major institutions allowed him to acquire a solid mastery of public policies, financing mechanisms and issues related to territorial development.

Elected mayor of Mbour in 2022, Cheikh Issa Sall also has political and territorial roots in a strategic area. Mbour, a major economic and demographic center of the Petite Côte, constitutes a territory with strong electoral potential and an important point of support for any political establishment.

O.BA