On October 26, 2026, a Facebook page called Hello Gambia shared an image of a severely deteriorated road, claiming it shows sections of the 91-kilometre Kiang-Kabada road. The post's caption stated that the road was inaugurated by President Adama Barrow on October 24, 2026, at a ceremony held in Sibito village, Lower River Region. The post garnered significant attention, with at least 384 comments, 78 shares, and 595 likes within six hours of publication.
The claim was quickly disputed by some Facebook users, including Modou Njie, who stated that the image was "totally false" and that he had trekked the roads before, during, and after construction. Another user, Dawda Sanyang, warned against the spread of inaccurate information, emphasizing that disinformation is a threat to democracy, peace, and national unity. The Kiang-Kabada road is publicly funded, and discussion of its quality should be based on credible evidence, especially with The Gambia heading towards its December 2026 presidential election.
To verify the claim, DUBAWA ran the image through GeoSeer, an AI-based geolocation tool, which suggested a rural road in Ghana or Nigeria, specifically naming Tamale, Ghana, as the most likely location, at coordinates 9.4052° N, 0.8424° W. However, DUBAWA treats the result only as a lead and could not independently establish where the image was taken. The tool gives probabilistic estimates, not verified findings.
DUBAWA contacted residents of the area, including Sainey Bah from Kiang Dumbuto, who said the image does not accurately represent the road and called it "a completely fake image." Isatou Jallow, another resident, also confirmed that the viral image is not the new road. Some Facebook users who claimed to use the road regularly echoed the residents' submissions, with one user stating that the road in the image appears similar to the stretch between Soma and Fonko Kunda.
DUBAWA obtained drone photographs of the road from several angles across Kiang from Saul Touray, a photographer at the Office of the President. The National Roads Authority (NRA) also published photographs on October 24, 2026, the day of the inauguration. The NRA's photographs show sections of the road with smooth, dark asphalt; white lane markings of varying clarity; and a mix of grassy and exposed reddish-brown lateritic shoulders, surrounded by lush vegetation and dense scrubland.
The image-analysis findings, residents' accounts, and available photographs from the NRA raise substantial doubts about the authenticity of the image shared by Hello Gambia. However, DUBAWA could not independently establish where the image was taken. DUBAWA contacted Hello Gambia via messenger but has not received a response or acknowledgement of the messages.
In conclusion, the image does not show the newly inaugurated Kiang-Kabada road. Residents familiar with the road say the image does not depict it, and photographs published by the NRA and the State House photographer show a visibly different road. Therefore, the claim that the image shows sections of the Kiang-Kabada road is false.
Key points
- The image shared by Hello Gambia does not show the newly inaugurated 91-kilometre Kiang-Kabada road in The Gambia's Lower River Region.
- The claim was disputed by residents and Facebook users familiar with the road, who stated that the image does not accurately represent the road.
- DUBAWA's investigation, including image analysis and photographs from the NRA and the State House photographer, confirms that the claim is false.
