But Will This Finally End The Yellow Machines Controversy?
By Our Staff Writer
The first year of its leadership in 2024, the Unity Party (UP) government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai plunged itself into a major controversy with what later turned out to be a phony arrangement to procure scores of earth-moving equipment (yellow machines).
By December of the same year, the “rescue” government admitted that it has not done due diligence in the deal to bring in a huge consignment of yellow machines/earth-moving equipment into Liberia in line with the country’s procurement laws and legislative procedures. Boakai’s Controversial Yellow Machines Deal—“A Gentleman’s Agreement”–That Breaks PPCC Law – News Public Trust
So many contradictions in how the machines were procured follow. Fast forward, a new deal was later announced for over 200 yellow machines to come from China, with an ambiguous arrangement to send dozens already brought into Monrovia back to China.
However, in a recent government statement, the Information Ministry did not say who will foot the bill of the shipment of the yellow machines back to China, under what condition did the dealers in China allow their heavy equipment to be brought to Monrovia, whether that deal was done in line with the PPCC process, etc.
And now, the Executive Mansion over the weekend disclosed that President Boakai has set up a government agency–“the Yellow Machines Board of Authority (YMBOA),-“–headed by former Liberian Defense Minister Brownie J. Samukai.
Mr. Samukai was one of the longest-serving Ministers in the first UP government of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. But he and other top Defense Ministry officials ware found guilty of misappropriating US$1.3 million for soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia, which the Criminal Court ordered them to restitute. Brownie Samukai Poised To Complete Paying AFL Soldiers’ Money Soon – News Public Trust
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESIDENT BOAKAI ESTABLISHES YELLOW MACHINES MANAGEMENT TEAM, TIPS FORMER DEFENSE MINISTER BROWNIE SAMUKAI AS EXECUTIVE CHAIRPERSON
February 8, 2026
Executive Mansion, Monrovia, Liberia— President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has announced the establishment of the Yellow Machines Board of Authority (YMBOA), appointing former Defense Minister Brownie J. Samukai as Executive Chairperson of its Coordinating Committee.
The establishment of the Board comes in advance of the arrival in Liberia of the first batch of the much talked about 285 yellow machines secured by the Government of Liberia in China for massive road and other infrastructure developments in Liberia.
The Board comprises the following:
Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, Chair
Ministry of Public Works, Co-Chair
Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Member
Ministry of National Defense, Member
Ministry of Agriculture,
Member
Ministry of Local Government, Member
Ministry of Information, Member
General Services Agency (GSA), Member
The Chairperson of the Special Presidential Project Coordinating Committee (SPPCC) will serve as Secretary to the Board
The mandate of the YMBOA is primarily to oversee the development of a rigorous policy and management framework for the efficient maintenance and utilization of the yellow machines. It shall serve as the central authority for the receipt, accountability, deployment, efficient cost management, operations, storage and maintenance of the yellow machines.
The YMBOA shall serve as the convening Board of Authority for the utilization of the yellow machines.
The President also constituted the Special Presidential Project Coordinating Committee (SPPCC), of which former Liberian Defense Minister Samukai is named Executive Chairperson or National Coordinator. The SPPCC has the following composition:
Honorable Brownie J. Samukai, National Coordinator
Honorable Roger S.W.Y. Domah, Deputy Coordinator for Administration
Honorable St. Jerome Larbelee, Deputy Coordinator for Operations.
A support staff team will be assembled to serve the Coordinating Committee.
The SPPCC, under the guidance of the YMBOA, has the mandate to strategically manage, coordinate, maintain and operate the effective utilization of the yellow machines as a Special Presidential Project. The SPPCC shall also coordinate with all statutory agencies of government that are constituent members of the Board.
A cardinal responsibility of the SPPCC is to prepare and submit to the YMBOA the National Deployment Plan for approval and to implement the approved Plan while reporting monthly on all activities and status of the equipment. The Committee is under specific mandate to operate under a “Maintenance-First” regime to maximize useful life and value-for money of the machines.
It can be recalled that early last month, Honorable Prince Tambah, Deputy Minister of Public Works for Technical Services, announced while in China that the first batch of the 285 yellow machines was already been loaded onto a ship destined for Liberia, with the expected time of arrival in Monrovia sometime in late March 2026. Other shipments were also lined up to take off for Liberia.
The arrival of these earth moving equipment and other assortment of machines will mark a remarkable turning point in this Administration’s quest for impactful infrastructural transformation in the country.