Benkirane Returns to Kenitra Amid Storm of Criticism and Accusations of Political and Developmental Bankruptcy
The Justice and Development Party is preparing to hold a rally on Sunday, September 21, 2025, at the La Shiny hall, starting at 4 PM, featuring the party’s Secretary-General, Abdelilah Benkirane, under the slogan of “Democratic Choice, Dignity Challenges, Social Development, and Combating Corruption.”
This move has sparked widespread debate on social media, with many commentators describing it as a “failed electoral attempt,” especially in light of the significant setback the party experienced in the 2021 elections in Kenitra, where it lost nearly 90% of its votes, despite having governed the municipality for a decade, which was characterized as a phase of “developmental blockage.”
Criticism did not remain confined to the virtual sphere but extended to local actors. Munir Jirat, President of the Regional Federation of Community Associations, deemed Benkirane’s return to the city “undesirable,” pointing out that the party left behind a host of accumulated problems related to transport, cleanliness, a decline in health services, and a worsening local sports team situation, in addition to the encroachment of real estate lobbies on the forest park, the only breathing space for the vulnerable classes.
For his part, Ahmed Bahnaik, a municipal councilor, Secretary of the Kenitra Municipal Council, and member of the Political Bureau of the Ensaaf Party, went as far as to say that Benkirane has “politically ended since he abolished the compensation fund,” considering that he left Moroccans facing a direct confrontation with a wave of price hikes that burdened them, after previous governments avoided even discussing the issue. He clarified that “this decision alone is enough to hold Benkirane fundamentally responsible for Moroccan families’ struggles with the cost of living.”
Bahnaik added that “it would be more appropriate for Benkirane, instead of organizing rhetorical festivals, to confront the people’s anger for the crises he caused,” while simultaneously affirming that the party is experiencing a “deep rift between its political and advocacy wings,” which will negatively impact any attempt to regain its influence in the city.
