Senegal's Faye launches Kiiraay party amid split with Sonko
Synopsis
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has launched his own party — Kiiraay, the Republican Patriots — formalising his break from PASTEF and former ally Ousmane Sonko, who controls 130 of 165 National Assembly seats. With a new party, a new ECOWAS chairmanship, and a hostile legislature, Faye is betting on political independence at a moment of maximum institutional risk.
Key Takeaways
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye launched Kiiraay, Les Patriotes républicains at a founding assembly in Dakar on 27 July 2025 .
The party emerged from the Diomaye President Coalition that backed Faye's March 2024 election win; its motto is 'The Homeland First' .
Former Prime Minister Aminata Touré oversaw the launch and was tasked with uniting Faye's supporters.
The move deepens the split with Ousmane Sonko , whose party PASTEF holds 130 of 165 National Assembly seats.
Faye also assumed the ECOWAS chairmanship last week at the 69th Ordinary Session in Freetown, Sierra Leone .
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye officially launched his own political party, Kiiraay, Les Patriotes républicains (Kiiraay, the Republican Patriots), at a founding assembly in Dakar on 27 July 2025, according to government officials. The new formation marks a significant step in Faye's effort to consolidate his political base independently of his estranged former ally, Ousmane Sonko.
Origins and Structure of Kiiraay
The party grew directly out of the Diomaye President Coalition, the broad alliance that propelled Faye to victory in the March 2024 presidential election. Participants at the founding assembly adopted the party's foundational documents and unveiled its motto: 'The Homeland First'.
In Wolof, 'Kiiraay' conveys the notion of protection, shelter, or a shield — a name that signals the party's intent to position itself as a guardian of republican values. According to party officials, the formation aims to unite political parties, movements, and individuals who support the President's agenda under a single organisational roof.
The launch ceremony was overseen by former Prime Minister Aminata Touré, whom Faye had specifically tasked with bringing his supporters together into one cohesive political structure.
The Faye-Sonko Rift
The establishment of Kiiraay comes against the backdrop of a deepening political rupture between Faye and Ousmane Sonko, his former Prime Minister. Sonko now serves as President of the National Assembly and continues to lead the African Patriots of Senegal for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF) — the very party that Faye himself once helped build.
Faye had served as Secretary-General of PASTEF before stepping down upon assuming the presidency in 2024. In the November 2024 legislative elections, PASTEF secured a commanding 130 of the National Assembly's 165 seats, giving Sonko substantial institutional leverage that now sits in tension with Faye's executive authority.
Faye's Regional Role
The domestic political development coincides with a significant regional appointment. Last week, Faye assumed the chairmanship of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for a one-year term, elected at the 69th Ordinary Session held in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He succeeds Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio in the rotating position.
The Freetown summit addressed the future of regional integration, the political and security situation across West Africa, institutional reform, and the financial sustainability of the bloc. According to the Senegalese presidency, Faye described the regional economy as 'resilient but still vulnerable' and characterised West Africa as 'a region weakened by terrorism', calling for deeper institutional reform.
What Comes Next
With Kiiraay now formally constituted, Faye faces the twin challenge of building a credible party apparatus from scratch while navigating a National Assembly dominated by his former partner. How the two formations manage their coexistence — or conflict — will shape Senegalese politics in the months ahead.
Point of View
He now faces a legislature his former ally controls with a near-supermajority — a structural trap that few African presidents have navigated without conflict. The choice of Aminata Touré, a seasoned political operator, to lead the founding signals that Faye is playing a long game. But building a credible opposition to PASTEF's institutional dominance in time for the next electoral cycle is a formidable task. The ECOWAS chairmanship adds regional prestige, but domestic arithmetic remains the harder problem.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kiiraay, Les Patriotes républicains?
It is a new Senegalese political party launched by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in Dakar on 27 July 2025. The name 'Kiiraay' means protection or shield in Wolof, and the party's motto is 'The Homeland First.' It grew out of the Diomaye President Coalition that supported Faye's 2024 election campaign.
Why did President Faye launch a new party?
Faye launched Kiiraay to build an independent political base separate from PASTEF, the party led by his former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The two leaders have experienced a significant political split, and PASTEF currently dominates the National Assembly with 130 of 165 seats.
Who is overseeing the new party's organisation?
Former Prime Minister Aminata Touré is leading the effort to unite Faye's supporters under Kiiraay. Faye specifically tasked her with consolidating political parties, movements, and individuals backing his presidential agenda into a single organisation.
What is the significance of Faye's ECOWAS chairmanship?
Faye assumed the rotating chairmanship of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government for a one-year term at the 69th Ordinary Session in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He succeeds President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone. At the summit, Faye called West Africa 'a region weakened by terrorism' and pushed for institutional reform.
How does the Faye-Sonko split affect Senegalese politics?
The split is consequential because Sonko's PASTEF controls 130 of the National Assembly's 165 seats following the November 2024 legislative elections. This gives Sonko significant legislative power, creating a potential cohabitation dynamic with Faye's executive authority that could complicate governance.
