
GBARNGA, Bong County — With just seven months into his nine-year tenure, Bong County Senator, Johnny Kpehe is said to be showing signs of prospects that leave his critics and doubters pondering.
By Joseph Armstrong Doloyuwah, Contributing Writer
The successful businessman took the political scenes by storm when he accepted petitions to contest for the Senate in late 2023.
Kpehe campaigned on the agenda, “Making Bong Better,” which was heavily embraced by citizens across the county and subsequently led to his overwhelming victory.
He defeated his nearest rival, Edward Karfiah with over 22 thousand votes margin, thus making him the first in the recent political history of Bong to have accumulated such a number.
Prior to his election, Kpehe singlehandedly bought a yellow machine that opened and connected all major streets in Gbarnga and rehabilitated several farm to market roads across the county.
He also provided free mobile health services to citizens, gave nonrefundable loans to small businesses, paid tuition fees for hundreds at high school and university levels, and created job opportunities for several citizens.
Sen. Kpehe promised to do more farm to market roads, provide scholarships, identify with health facilities and create jobs for citizens when elected.
An independent investigation by FPA has uncovered that Sen. Kpehe has kept his promises in the space of just seven months in office.
Currently, Sen. Kpehe is rehabilitating the Kpatawee Waterfall road in his native Suakoko District, and doing the same on the Totota-Sanoyea Road in Salala District.
The youthful Bong County Lawmaker is also using his influence as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth and Sports to provide jobs for several Bong County citizens.
Early this year, Sen. Kpehe provided rice, zinc and mattresses to some citizens whose homes were damaged by a violent storm in Suakoko and Salala Districts.
During the terrible Totota tanker explosion, he provided three ambulances to transport victims to various health facilities across the country for medication.
These self help development initiatives keep boosting his morale across the county, with some even seeing him as a potential vice presidential material, a perception the Bong County Senator has declined to comment on.
Sen. Kpehe has continued to receive commendations from citizens across the county for his indelible contributions to the development of the county.
Jekins Cooper, a youth of Salala District: I have absolutely no bit of regret for throwing my support behind Mr. Kpehe. In just seven months, he has demonstrated exactly what we (citizens) have been searching for over the years. We want to thank him for the rehabilitation of the Totota-Sanoyea Road, a major route used by thousands on a daily basis. Sen. Kpehe is indeed a promise keeper, he’s a man we can trust with even a whole country. I encourage him to continue to do his work and close his ears and eyes to the distractions because there are people who will criticize everything in this county.
Solomon Kollie, a bike rider in Gbarnga: It is often said that when Christmas will be good, you can tell from the event: the early signs shown by Sen. Kpehe suggest that he will make a better Senator. I want to particularly thank him for the installation of traffic lights in Gbarnga, an idea that has reduced the accident rate in the city. We just have to be patient as citizens and give our Senator some time to adjust and deliver. I believe in him.
Ma. Rebecca Flomo, business woman in Kokoyah District: Sen. Kpehe has not done anything for me personally, but I feel good when I hear many people testifying his goodness. I heard about his works across the county that was why I gave him my support without even seeing him in person. Since we were elected, he has not stopped doing his work and I feel happy about it – it makes me feel like my support was never in vain. I want to tell the Senator to not forget about us business women, the loans he gave to others, he should bring our own.