Gambia: Former VP Dr Touray Enters 2026 Race As Independent

Former Vice President Dr. Isatou Touray has announced her candidacy as an independent presidential candidate for the 2026 election, becoming the second female former VP to join the race after Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang.

Touray will launch her campaign on Saturday, 27 June 2026, 4:00-10:00 p.m. at SSP Grounds, Brikama.

A veteran politician and gender rights advocate, Touray co-founded GAMCOTRAP in 1984 and led the 1998 Banjul Declaration that condemned female genital mutilation. She holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Sussex and previously established MDI's Gender and Development program.

Forced out of MDI in 2005 by the Jammeh regime, she helped build the 2016 opposition coalition that ended his 22-year rule. She later served as Minister of Trade, Minister of Health, and Vice President from 2019 to 2022.