Rashid Sellemani Kalimbaga, Newly-elected ARMFA President
[By Pewu Y. Sumo]
Monrovia – After nearly a week of deliberations in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, the Africa Road Maintenance Funds Association (ARMFA) has elected a new leader to steer the continental bloc.
Tanzanian national Rashid Sellemani Kalimbaga was overwhelmingly elected as the new President by his colleagues on the fourth day of the 22nd General Assembly of ARMFA, held at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
Mr. Kalimbaga succeeds Mr. Essaie Moussa Aubin of Cameroon, who served a two-year term (2023-2025) after being elected during the 20th Annual General Assembly in Maputo, Mozambique.
Priorities for the New Leadership
Speaking in an exclusive interview with journalists, Mr. Kalimbaga stated that his election marks a continuation of his predecessor’s work. He committed to making the Association well-known and fully registered to ensure a more robust and effective accomplishment of its roles.
“Our role is to make sure that we preserve our road networks so that we can facilitate the economy for our countries,” Mr. Kalimbaga stated.
He re-echoed the outgoing President’s primary mandate, which, according to him, emphasized the three priorities of the Association as: road, road, and road. The newly elected ARMFA President further stressed that members must construct roads to help facilitate the growth of their respective economies.
Mr. Kalimbaga underscored the Association’s critical role: “We, as the Road Fund Association, our role is to make sure that the roads are passable all the time so people can have their services.” He pledged that the Association, under his stewardship, will ensure this goal is achieved.
Focus on Funding
The first priority of his leadership, he cataloged, will be establishing a good modality for raising maintenance funds for the Association.
“We have a problem of getting sufficient maintenance funds. Therefore, we will have to put in place mechanisms to ensure that we increase the level of funding so that we can effectively maintain our roads,” the new ARMFA President stated.
Mr. Kalimbaga concluded by praising the leadership of the National Road Funds of Liberia (NRF) for the successful hosting of the week-long event and the hospitality he and all members have received. The ARMFA 22nd General Assembly held under the theme: “Roads, Rhythm & Rich Heritage”, hosted by the NRF, is scheduled to conclude tomorrow, November 21, 2025, in Monrovia.
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