Senegal’s president unveils new party amid political shift

Diomaye Faye establishes ‘Kiiraay’ in a bold break from Sonko

On Saturday, July 25, 2026, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye took a decisive step in Dakar by launching a new political party, ‘Kiiraay,’ marking the end of a high-profile alliance with his former mentor and former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The two men had once shared membership in the panafricanist party Pastef, which played a pivotal role in propelling Faye to power in 2024. Faye, who initially appointed Sonko as Prime Minister, saw their relationship unravel over time, culminating in Sonko’s dismissal from the government in May.

The name ‘Kiiraay’—derived from Wolof and meaning ‘protection’ or ‘shield’—was revealed during a packed conference in a major Dakar hotel. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside under scorching heat, waving banners and wearing scarves emblazoned with ‘Long live Diomaye.’ With the slogan ‘Patriotic Republicans,’ Faye emphasized the party’s foundation in ‘republican values, ethics, transparency, fraternity, and hard work.’

Outside the venue, Mamo Khady Sall, a 43-year-old resident of Yeumbeul, a Dakar suburb, praised Faye as a ‘man of peace’ and expressed her strong disapproval of Sonko, whom she refused to name. ‘The changes we sought were impossible within the current framework of Pastef,’ declared Ibra Faye, an economist and financial engineer from Dakar, reflecting growing dissatisfaction among supporters.

Party dominance and political fallout

‘Kiiraay is the majority party in this country,’ Faye declared to a crowd that included mayors, sector leaders, and civil society figures. Recent defections from Pastef to the president’s camp have further bolstered Kiiraay’s influence. The new party plans to hold its founding congress after the summer rainy season. Faye’s rise to the presidency owes much to Sonko, who was barred from the 2024 election due to a defamation conviction, preventing him from contesting the race.

The rift between the two leaders stemmed from opposing views on Senegal’s escalating public debt and broader governance issues. On May 22, Faye removed Sonko from the Prime Minister’s office. Sonko’s allies swiftly appointed him President of the National Assembly, where Pastef holds 130 of the 165 seats in the unicameral parliament. In late June, lawmakers passed a bill to curb presidential powers, including prohibiting the president from leading a political party or coalition. However, the Constitutional Council struck down the measure within two weeks.