Senegal president diomaye faye launches new party, solidifying split from sonko
Diomaye Faye launches « Kiiraay » and formalizes his split from Ousmane Sonko
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye inaugurated his new political party, « Kiiraay », in Dakar on Saturday, July 25, 2026. This move officially solidifies his widely reported separation from his former mentor and ex-Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko. Both men were previously members of the pan-Africanist Pastef party, which was instrumental in propelling Faye to the presidency in 2024. Upon assuming office, President Faye appointed Sonko as Prime Minister, but their relationship progressively deteriorated, culminating in the dismissal of the head of government in May.
President Faye unveiled his new political entity, named « Kiiraay », which translates to « protection » or « shield » in the Wolof language, during a conference held at a prominent Dakar hotel. Outside the venue, hundreds of his enthusiastic supporters, unable to fit into the conference hall, braved the scorching heat. They brandished placards and wore decorative scarves emblazoned with « Vive Diomaye ». In announcing the formation of this new party, whose slogan is « Patriotes républicains » (Republican Patriots), President Faye emphasized its foundational principles: « the republic, ethics, transparency, fraternity, and hard work ». Among the crowd, Mamo Khady Sall, 43, who traveled from Yeumbeul, a Dakar suburb, with a group of 15 women, lauded Faye as a « man of peace », expressing her strong disapproval of Ousmane Sonko, whose name she refused to utter.
Ousmane Sonko had previously garnered significant support among young Senegalese through his pan-Africanist rhetoric, following a protracted power struggle with former President Macky Sall, who governed from 2012 to 2024. Both Sonko and Faye had spearheaded a campaign centered on transformative change, advocating for economic reform, social justice, and a vigorous fight against corruption. However, after « these two years in power, we observe that the demanded changes were not at all feasible within the current framework » of the Pastef party, noted Ibra Faye, an economist and financial engineer based in Dakar.
A new majority party
« Kiiraay is the majority party in this country », President Faye declared to his assembled supporters, highlighting the presence of numerous mayors, sector leaders, and prominent civil society figures at the gathering. Several officials and activists from Pastef have recently announced their resignations to align with the presidential camp. According to the president’s communication team, the newly formed party plans to hold its inaugural congress following the country’s summer rainy season. Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s ascendancy to the presidency is largely owed to Ousmane Sonko, his former mentor, who would almost certainly have become head of state himself had he not been disqualified from the 2024 presidential race in this West African nation due to a defamation conviction.
Addressing public debt
The two political figures subsequently became estranged due to fundamental disagreements on how Senegal should tackle its substantial public debt and other critical policy matters. On May 22, Bassirou Diomaye Faye removed Ousmane Sonko from his position as Prime Minister. Sonko’s allies swiftly responded by appointing him president of the National Assembly, where he remains the undisputed leader of Pastef, controlling 130 of the 165 seats in Senegal’s unicameral parliament. In late June, the National Assembly passed legislation aimed at curtailing presidential powers, notably by prohibiting the head of state from leading a political party or coalition of parties. Nevertheless, the Constitutional Council invalidated this measure less than two weeks later.