Four Years Without Pa Nderry Mbai A Tribute by Alagi Yorro Jallow Part I: The Voice That Stirred a Nation November 22, 2025Today marks four years since the untimely passing of Pa Nderry Mbai, a fearless journalist whose pioneering work in internet broadcasting continues to inspire societal and political change. He inspires so many young and older adults to engage in the third liberation struggle and to be active pro-democracy activists through his civic journalism, demystifying the dictator and giving a platform to Gambians both at home and in the diaspora, his medium becoming the voice of the voiceless. The Gambia lost a great voice—an uncompromising figure, founder of Freedom Radio and Freedom Newspaper, and a trail blazer in diaspora media. I do not mourn legends; I celebrate them. I mourn only those who leave no lasting mark. I celebrate those who touched hearts with kindness, who impacted the world with their actions, who impressed minds with wit and charm, and who blessed society with leadership and direction. Those who wrote and spoke as voices for the voiceless never die, even when their hearts cease to beat. They gave a small quantity of their lives to each of us. Even in death, they live through us. We may never again see an investigative and political journalist like Pa Nderry Mbai. However, through his life and political engagement, many a politician was made, including yours truly. His death reminds us: it is time to fit into the giant’s shoes.Celebrating you, Editor Pa Nderry Mbai—founder, firebrand, and fearless voice whose pioneering work revolutionized internet radio broadcasting in the Gambian diaspora, inspiring generations to stand for truth and leaving an enduring legacy that continues to motivate us all.Rest well, and may Allah grant you Al-Jannah Firdausi.In recent memory, no death in The Gambia has dominated social media and inspired such heart felt, global lamentation as yours, emphasizing Pa Nderry Mbai’s lasting legacy and motivating us to continue his activism.I have known you for nearly three decades. We argued over The Gambia fiercely, lovingly, relentlessly. That was our bond. When his death was announced in Raleigh, North Carolina. You were no politician. No wealthy man. No king or prince. No pop culture celebrity. You were only a journalist and a social critic who railed against incompetence and malfeasance in government and fired our imagination about our unrealized but realizable potential as a nation. However, you were mourned and are still being mourned by an unbelievably vast swath of humanity. You were too alive to be dead. It still feels like your next breaking news update will appear on your Facebook wall today, winking at us, wondering why we ever thought you could end like that. We still visit the Freedom website, hoping this death talk is just one morbid, expensive joke that will soon unravel. But no. You are gone. Forever.Part II: The Restless Voice, The Relentless TruthPa Nderry Mbai played on the world stage. He refused a pedestrian exit. Instead, his Maker chose for him a sudden closure—in a bolt of shrieking, thunderous shock. He played his part, fulfilled his mission, and delivered his message fully and clearly. He was a teacher-journalist without borders. There was no subject he did not touch offline or online, morning, afternoon, evening, or night. His words were as restless as his world.The one we miss would have rained acid tears on the original sin that constantly feeds the young to the greed of the old. The shriek in his voice would have cursed the race that fades flowers before their bloom. In his death are lessons for the wise. He was a young man, less than 50. However, his name echoed in newsrooms across the world. No one spoke of his possessions. All tongues toasted his humanity, his unpretentious anger, his angst at his country’s refusal to behave with dignity.The world focused not on what he owned, but on the fecund mind, heart, and voice his Maker endowed him with. His writings and broadcasts made him a symbol of truth, patriotism, and courage, reminding us that genuine impact transcends material possessions and leaves a lasting legacy.Shakespeare wrote, ‘When beggars die, there are no comets seen; the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes.’ In the case of Pa Nderry Mbai, the heavens blazed forth his death, marking the profound and lasting impact of his life on the world stage and within our hearts, reminding us of the enduring power of truth and courage, and inspiring us to carry his legacy forward.Pa Nderry Mbai was no prince. However, the heavens blazed forth his death. Why has his passing detained our imagination and united us in grief? Was it his infectious warmth? His irrepressible mirth? His boundless energy? Was it his bridge-building across traditional fissures?He was an open book. He shared his joys and challenges, from parenting with his daughter Awa to his love for grilled lamb chops. His sharp wit, homespun humor, and fearless critiques of Gambia’s elites animated our discourse and inspired hundreds of thousands. His generosity, honesty, and unwavering integrity made him a symbol of courage in our collective memory, leaving a lasting impression on all who knew him.He was an open book. He shared the joys and challenges of parenting, especially his conversations with his precocious daughter Awa. He shared his love for grilled lamb chops. He even invited us into his anxieties—about food, about politics, about the soul of The Gambia.He let us peer into his phenomenal mind and see the angst that troubled him. We saw a man deeply concerned about his country’s future. A man is impatient with its snail-paced progress—a man gripped by the fear of history’s judgment. A man prepared to risk unpopularity rather than sugarcoat the truth.In Pa Nderry Mbai, people saw a brilliant, fearless, patriotic, yet modest hero—someone they had come to depend on intellectually and emotionally. That is why his death felt like the death of a piece of us.Since I first met Pa in 1999, when I launched The Independent, our bond has grown through shared experiences on the Gambia Press Union, reflecting our deep cultural and professional connection that continues to inspire us all.This is a national tragedy. However, it is also a deeply personal loss for his family, for the media fraternity, and for the Gambian people. We missed each other’s calls in the weeks leading up to his death. That is one of my greatest regrets. I have learned from it. I will be checking in on my friends more often. Life is too transient to be too busy to say hello.Pa and I often called each other, bound not just by journalism but by kinship. His late uncle, Barrister Fafa Mbai, is an elder friend of mine. Like me, Pa was always self-conscious of his mortality. He often said, “Tomorrow is not guaranteed.” That is why he lived each day as if it were his last. That is why he always stood for truth, justice, and fair play.He nurtured his vast network of friends with care. If you forgot to congratulate him on a milestone, he would send you a satirical text to remind you. If something happened in your life and he heard it from others, he would call you out but forgive you just as quickly. That is why so many of us are inconsolable. I do not think I will ever fully come to terms with his death.In many ways, Pa reminds us of life’s impermanence and the importance of living with purpose. He often said he feared he would not live to see his daughters grow up. That is why he gave his all every day. That is why he lives on—in the lives he touched, in the ideals he championed.What we remember most is not just that he was an outstanding journalist. He was a fantastic human being, controversial, funny, kind, sympathetic, genuine, and committed. He was the trailblazer of Gambian online radio journalism. He was the icon many in the diaspora looked to for truth and inspiration.He approached complex issues with gentle firmness and intelligent clarity. His role in exposing the atrocities of the Jammeh regime and defending press freedom will never be forgotten. He ran Freedom Radio and Freedom Newspaper with unmatched energy and integrity. He was a delight to listen to, a joy to read, knowledgeable, inquisitive, and bold.In his prime, we lost him. Painfully. Who will now speak for The Gambia as a true Gambian? No matter what, countless Gambians loved him and still do, and always will. My heartfelt thoughts and fervent prayers are with his dear wife and children. They are his true legacy. May the Almighty overlook his shortcomings.

By Yorro Jallow