For weeks, Senegal’s political landscape has been dominated by debates surrounding so-called political funds. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko’s public acknowledgment of this discretionary budget—allocated to the head of government—has triggered significant political upheaval. Yet, far from being a novelty, this system has been in place for decades, predating Sonko’s tenure.

Political funds represent a financial resource traditionally managed by the Senegalese presidency with considerable discretion. The prime minister has historically received a portion of this fund, typically around 1.7 billion CFA francs annually, compared to the roughly 11 billion allocated to the president. This long-standing yet poorly documented system operated without much public scrutiny—until Sonko chose to bring it into the open.

The turning point of may 2026

During a parliamentary session, the prime minister stunned observers by confirming the existence of a 1.77 billion CFA franc political fund at the Prime Minister’s Office. This admission marked a stark departure from his earlier denials and underscored a broader shift in how such funds are perceived. Rather than advocating for their abolition, Sonko defended their necessity for sensitive state missions while calling for stricter oversight. He pointed to Western models, where these funds are managed by the head of government under the supervision of dedicated commissions.

This push for transparency was not spontaneous. Sonko’s party, PASTEF, had been criticizing the lack of oversight over these funds since 2014, and their reform was a key part of the party’s platform as early as 2019.

The public disagreement between the prime minister and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye over the management of these funds soon escalated into a political crisis. By raising the issue in parliament, Sonko forced the president to take a stand: either grant greater autonomy to the Prime Minister’s Office or reassert presidential authority. The president’s decision came swiftly—Sonko was dismissed from his post, reshaping the dynamics of the 2024 political alliance.

Further developments emerged in late July 2026 when the Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Abdourahmane Diouf, revealed that Sonko had reportedly requested an additional budget allocation after depleting his annual fund. The revelation reignited the controversy, though it remains unclear whether the request was granted. Civil society voices, including Moundiaye Cissé of the 3D NGO, are now demanding full transparency, calling for the publication of fund utilization reports for the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Assembly over the past two years.