Monrovia-Former Liberian President George Manneh Weah has led a high-profile delegation of opposition figures to sympathize with former Foreign Affairs Minister Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah Sr., following the death of his mother, in a visit marked by both mourning and rising political tension.
By Willie N. Tokpah
Weah, accompanied by senior members of the opposition, including Nathaniel F. McGill, described the visit as a demonstration of enduring personal and political bonds rather than political posturing.
“This is not about exemplification,” Weah told the bereaved family.
“It is about standing with one of our own in a moment of tragedy. I knew Kemayah long before politics, and in times like these, it is important to be present with family.”
The late Ma Watta Kumba Soliyah Larmie, mother of former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Kemayah, reportedly died after suffering complications linked to hypertension.
According to Amb. Kemayah, her condition worsened following what he described as a traumatic encounter with state security forces at his residence in Paynesville.
He alleged that the presence of armed officers, who had come to arrest him, caused his mother severe distress, leading to shock and her eventual hospitalization at St. Joseph Catholic Hospital, where she later died.
Kemayah described his mother’s death as a “tragic consequence” of what he termed a broader clampdown by the ruling Unity Party on opposition figures.
He went further to characterize her as “the first casualty” in what he called ongoing politically motivated prosecutions.
The government has not officially responded to these allegations.
Despite the somber occasion, Kemayah used the moment to reaffirm his unwavering political allegiance to Weah, declaring that Liberia’s future leadership, in his view, remains tied to the former president.
“When I look at our country and reflect deeply, I see clearly that the one to redeem Liberia come 2029 is our leader, His Excellency Dr. George Manneh Weah,” Kemayah asserted, describing Weah as a “global icon” destined for a political return.
Similarly, the Youth League of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change CDC, led by its Vice Chairman for Political Affairs and Education, Alvin Wesseh, also paid a separate visit to the grieving family.
Wesseh echoed Kemayah’s claims, alleging that the circumstances surrounding the death were tied to what he called “unlawful security actions” targeting opposition members.
He praised Kemayah’s loyalty to the Coalituin for Democratic Change, of which, Kemayan’s Movement for Economic Empowerment is a member, and vowed the Youth League’s continued support.
“You have remained committed when others turned away,” Wesseh said. “We see you as one of us, and we will stand by you in this struggle.”
He further disclosed that the CDC Youth League would mobilize in large numbers for the funeral, referring to the late Ma Larmie as a “martyr,” a characterization likely to intensify political debate.
Funeral services for the late Ma Watta Kumba Soliyah Larmie are scheduled for Friday, April 10, 2026.
Her body will be removed from the Samuel A. Stryker Funeral Home and taken to the Providence Baptist Church on Ashmun Street for funeral rites, before burial at the Kaiser Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Brewerville.
A repast will follow at St. Gabriel Catholic Parish Hall.
The developments come amid heightened political friction in Liberia, as opposition figures increasingly accuse the government of intimidation tactics, a claim the administration has yet to formally address.
