-Is Karnplay on a Total Development Freeze?
KARNPLAY, NIMBA COUNTY – Karnplay City Mayor Daybah Zahn, a prominent Unity Party official, has accused the national government and Nimba County leadership of completely neglecting his city, stating that no development project has started there in two years.
By Shallon S. Gonlor/Nimba County Correspondent
In a recent interview with WomenVoices Newspaper, Mayor Zahn revealed that Karnplay has received no development funds since he took office. “The devil which I dressed, I can not undress it in the public,” Zahn said. He suggested serious undisclosed issues within the Boakai and Koung administrations.
The mayor, who actively campaigned for President Joseph Boakai, now states his city sees “zero benefits from this government.” He said ongoing projects, including a crucial road pavement and bridge renovations, have stalled and gathered dust.
Zahn specifically blamed Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono for the situation. He disclosed that from a county budget of $4.2 million for 2025, Karnplay received only $2,000 for city maintenance. He also said his attempts to meet Superintendent Gono have repeatedly failed.
The mayor highlighted a staffing crisis, noting that of twenty city workers, only five were on the payroll and those individuals are now deceased. He pleaded with the national government to prioritize rural development and urgently accelerate work on the vital Karnplay-Luogotuo road project to boost trade.
The Karnplay-Luogotuo road project, contracted to Chinese firm CRSG, has faced significant delays. While the previous administration also encountered issues, construction largely halted in late 2023. The new Unity Party administration and relevant ministries are currently in negotiations with the Chinese partners to restart the work.
Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono and representatives from the central government have not yet responded to the mayor’s allegations. Karnplay City is one of the cities in Nimba County, Liberia. It is located about 12 miles (19.3 km) from the Ivorian border. Karnplay is one of the largest cities in Nimba.
Mayor Zahn’s complaints from Karnplay reflect a broader, systemic crisis in county governance and development funding currently facing legislative and civil society scrutiny.
This scrutiny intensified on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, when Maryland County Representative Hon. Anthony F. Williams petitioned the House plenary to summon the Minister of Internal Affairs. He sought answers on county financial performance, development project execution, and payroll updates for 2024-2025. Following a contentious debate, the House’s leadership intervened and took control of the matter, delaying immediate oversight.
These political concerns are anchored by empirical evidence from a major December 2025 report by the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL). Titled “Open Expenditure: Examining CSDF Projects in Six Counties,” the study delivers a damning assessment of the County Social Development Fund (CSDF)—the primary mechanism for funding local infrastructure through concession company contributions and national allocations.
CENTAL’s research, conducted across Nimba, Bong, Grand Bassa, Bomi, Rivercess, and Gbarpolu Counties, confirms the fund has built schools, clinics, and markets. However, Executive Director Anderson Miamen presented findings that reveal crippling systemic failures:
A significant portion of CSDF resources is diverted to administrative buildings in county capitals, sidelining urgent rural needs like those in Karnplay. The report cites extreme centralization of decision-making, weak contract oversight, and irregular procurement. Unauthorized project changes inflate costs and cause delays, while poor supervision has even led to violations of labor and child protection laws.
Communities report little access to information on CSDF spending, hindering public oversight. Projects frequently exclude women, youth, and persons with disabilities, with most public facilities lacking mandatory accessibility features. The County Councils legally mandated to monitor the CSDF lack the basic staff, logistics, and funding to function effectively.
In response, CENTAL issued urgent recommendations: prioritize high-impact projects over scattered spending, legally empower and fund County Councils, ensure timely CSDF disbursements, and create formal roles for civil society in monitoring. The organization stressed that only strengthened collaboration between the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Finance, county administrations, and citizens can salvage the fund’s promise—a promise currently unfulfilled for cities like Karnplay.
