Keur Massamba Guèye, a locality within the commune of Fandène, Thiès department, serves as a buffer zone between the communes of Thiès Est, Thiès Ouest, and Notto Diobass. the area is experiencing increasing land disputes due to unplanned and unmanaged land subdivision, frequently leading to legal cases.
Residents debate whether keur Massamba Guèye is a village or a neighborhood. Administratively, it falls under the Keur Moussa arrondissement, located just outside Thiès on National Route 2 towards Dakar. Though, it remains a transitional zone approximately ten kilometers from the administrative center of the Fandène commune.
“To obtain a civil registration document,a resident of Keur Massamba Guèye must travel across the entirety of Thiès Est,passing thru the serviced land areas,” explains Malick Aw,a local resident. “Those living near the Mbour 4 landfill in Thiès Ouest also face a ten-kilometer journey to reach the Fandène commune offices, where civil registration is handled.” Aw chose to register his children’s births at the Thiès city hall to avoid these lengthy trips.
Similarly,verifying property deeds requires residents to travel to the Keur Moussa arrondissement in Pout,roughly fifteen kilometers away,despite being less than a kilometer from the thiès Sud sub-prefecture. The arrondissement oversees both Thiès Ouest and Thiès Est communes, creating this administrative challenge for the village’s inhabitants.
According to Modou Guèye, son of the village chief, Keur Massamba Guèye remains a village in thier eyes, despite recent decentralization reforms.
