RESIDENTS OF BONG EXPRESS FRUSTRATION OVER SENATOR KPEHE’S FAILED CAMPAIGN PROMISE
By Matalay Kollie
January 30, 2025
Bong County: Senator Johnny Kpehe is facing mounting criticism for failing to fulfill a key campaign promise in the county. According to the frustrated residents, Sen. Kpehe has failed to construct a state-of-the-art ambulance hub in Gbarnga as promised during the 2023 Election campaign. Residents of the county, who once rallied behind Kpehe for his generosity and commitment to development, now express disappointment over what they see as an unfulfilled pledge.
During the 2023 General Elections, Kpehe repeatedly assured the people of Bong County that he would establish a modern ambulance hub to ease transportation difficulties for patients in health facilities across the region. His campaign, supported the installation of traffic lights at three major intersections in Gbarnga, earned him public trust and an eventual election.
In August 2024, Kpehe held a groundbreaking ceremony at Kalando’s Filling Station along the Gbarnga-Ganta Highway, marking the start of the project. The event was attended by residents and representatives from the Bong County Health Team. At which time, Kpehe reaffirmed his commitment, stating that the ambulance hub would be completed and handed over to the county health team by January 2025.
The estimated cost of the project was placed at over $100,000 USD. However, months later, there has been no visible progress. No materials have been brought to the construction site, and not a single block has been laid. The senator’s inaction has sparked outrage among citizens, with many regretting their decision to elect him. Some residents accuse him of abandoning Bong County, only making brief, overnight visits to see his family.
Ma Esther Cammue, a resident of the Civil Compound Community in Gbarnga, expressed her frustration, stating that Kpehe was frequently seen in the county before his election but has since become largely absent. In response to the backlash, Senator Kpehe shifted the blame to the Bong County Health Team, specifically Administrator Sam Siakor.
According to Kpehe, Siakor requested a temporary halt to the ambulance hub project, asking him instead to focus on completing an unfinished clinic in Yila, Kpaai District. The senator claimed the health team deemed the Yila Clinic an urgent priority due to pressing technical health concerns. He reassured residents that once the clinic is completed and the health team submits the necessary ‘BOQ’ (Bill of Quantities) for the ambulance hub, construction will commence immediately.
When contacted for clarification, Health Team Administrator Sam Siakor confirmed that he had indeed asked Senator Kpehe to redirect resources toward the Yila Clinic. He revealed that the senator has already provided 100 bags of cement to accelerate the clinic’s construction.
However, Siakor did not provide specific reasons for prioritizing the clinic over the ambulance hub but assured residents that the hub’s construction would proceed once the clinic was completed. “We asked the senator to complete the Yila Clinic first. Once that is done, he can begin work on the ambulance hub with the health team’s guidance.
The process is ongoing, and he has already donated 100 bags of cement,” Siakor said in a text response to our reporter. Despite these assurances, frustration remains high among Bongese residents, who are eager to see tangible progress on the ambulance hub. Whether Senator Kpehe will ultimately fulfill his campaign promise remains to be seen.
