The President of the Republic of The Gambia, His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh has effected two more cabinet appointments with effect from yesterday, Tuesday, February 7th, 2012. A media release from State House revealed thatFatim Badjie has been appointed as the minister of Health and Social Welfare andKebba S Touray as the new minister of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment.

The release reads:

His Excellency the President of the Republic of The Gambia, Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya AJJ Jammeh, acting under the provisions of Section 70(1), 70(3), 71(1) and 71(3) respectively, of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia has made the following Cabinet appointments with immediate effect: Ms Fatim Badjie, as Minister of Health & Social Welfare; Mr Kebba S. Touray as Minister of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment.

Background

FatimBadjie, 29,was the youngest ministerin the previous Cabinet. Her first Cabinet appointment was in March 2008, as minister of Communications, Information and Information Technology and was laterrelieved of her appointment. She made a second Cabinet come back in February 2011, as Minister of Health & Social Welfare, the position she held until the previous Cabinet was dissolved last Thursday.

For minister Kebba Touray, he is the first outside the previous Cabinet to be appointed. Touray , a native of Ballangharr in the Central River Region, was until his new appointment, the Gambia’s ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain. Prior to his diplomatic assignment, he served as the chief executive officer of the then Gambia Investment Promotions and Free Zones Agency (GIPFZA), an agency set up by government to promote investmentin the country.He also at one-time served as the Director of Finance of the Gambia Public Transport Corporation (GPTC).