Former Gambia’s President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, will deliver a speech today Friday at the opening of People Progressive Party (PPP) Congress at the YMC in Kanfing, in what will be the leader’s first public address to party supporters since coup on 22 July 1994, by a group of soldiers led by Lieutenant Yahya Jammeh.
The PPP will commence its national congress today with each of the 53 constituencies to be represented by ten delegates comprising men, women, and youths while all members of the executive and central committee and party militants will attend.
Former President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara the father of the nation, the first Prime Minister and President of the Gambia will grace the opening. His major political appearance was the 1992 -1993, presidency and National Assembly elections.
Jawara was born in Barajally, MacCarthy Island Division, the son of Mamma Fatty and Almami Jawara. He was educated at the Methodist Boys’ School in Bathurst and then attended Achimota College in Ghana.
He trained as a veterinary surgeon at the University of Glasgow‘s School of Veterinary Medicine and then completed his training at the University of Liverpool.
He returned to The Gambia in 1953 and married Augusta Mahoney, beginning work as a veterinary officer. He decided to enter politics and became secretary of the new People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and was elected to the House of Representatives in the 1960 election.
He became the leader of the PPP and then the country’s first Prime Minister in 1962, only the second ever head of government following Pierre Sarr N’Jie‘s term as Chief Minister.