Rohey Malick Lowe

Lowe returned to The Gambia in 2017 and was a founding member of the United Democratic Party.^[1] She was selected as the UDP candidate for mayor of Banjul and in her campaign spoke of a "twenty two year neglect" of the city that was "in bad shape."^[5][6]

Lowe was elected mayor of Banjul on 12 May 2018, the first female to hold the position since the establishment of the city in 1816.^[2][7] The polls were the first mayoral election since the ouster of President Yahya Jammeh in December 2016.^[2] Lowe defeated eight other candidates including incumbent Abdoulie Bah and another woman, Lizzie Eunson, a banker who ran as an Independent.^[8][5] The Independent Electoral Commission certified the result, describing the election as free, fair and transparent, despite low voter turnout.^[8] Lowe received 2,836 votes under UDP ticket to Bah's 2,292 and Eunson's 1,576.^[8][9] Lowe said her top priorities included sanitation, municipal economy and public infrastructure.^[6] In remarks at her inauguration, she said despite her being a member of a political party, "Banjul City Council will never again be an extended wing of any political party."^[7]

In December 2018, Lowe was nominated for Congress to replace Tombong Saidy, but withdrew her candidature after a lukewarm response from delegates.^[10]

In March 2019, Lowe allocated D10 million of her own money to the Rohey Malick Lowe Women's and Girls' Empowerment Initiative in cooperation with Guarantee Trust Bank in fulfillment of a campaign promise to empower the women of Banjul.^[11]

In March 2019, Freedom Newspaper reported that Lowe had been jailed in Germany in the 1980s on "alleged drug related issues", and was later involved in litigation after accusing a prison warden of sexual assault.^[12] Lowe responded by saying, "I saw the newspaper that is circulating. If the person, who wrote the story understands German, he will know that I haven't done anything wrong. I was violated. I am not going to dignify what they are saying."^[13]

Lowe married Mboge Saidykhan, a Protocol and Welfare Officer at the Embassy of Gambia in Washington DC, on 12 May 2019.^[14] She was previously divorced.^[14] Lowe is a Muslim^[1][14] and she speaks English, Swedish, Mandinka and Wolof.^[15]