House Speaker Koon Leads Lawmakers To Executive Mansion To Shower Praises On The Pres. Boakai, Though Legislature Has Not Ratified The Multi-Million US Dollars Deal
PHOTO: Yellow machines photo album shows Lawmakers all dressed in yellow showering with Pres. Boakai and the newly appointed Yellow Machines Boaard of Authority head, ex-Defense Min. Brownie J. Samukai
By Our Staff Writer
The recent arrival in the country of a new batch of the controversial yellow machines by the government of President Joseph Boakai continues to generate mixed reactions growing out of the initial contradictions surrounding the multi-million US dollars deal. And some are asking will the arrival of this new batch of earth-moving equipment end the long-running yellow machines controversy?
State Radio ELBC has reported that there was celebration by citizens recently when the first batch of yellow machines (137 pieces) was transferred from the Freeport of Monrovia to the Camp Sande Ware military barracks in Careysburg, outside the Liberian capital, Monrovia.
But other citizens who talked to local media outlets were however, “less enthusiastic,” giving the fact that the deal has for over a year been shrouded in controversy.
On February 24, 2026, the Executive Mansion said on a tour of the earth-moving equipment at the seaport, President Joseph Nyuma Boaiai announced that dditional consignments, comprising the remaining units are expected in subsequent shipments, representing a major milestone in advancing the Government’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development.
In the first year of its leadership in 2024, the Unity Party (UP) government of President 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). Liberia’s Controversial Yellow Machines Now Have Gov’t Agency, With Ex-Defense Min. Samukai Heading – News Public Trust
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.
Last month, 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.
Although the huge procurement has been initiated is being followed throught by the Executive without Legislative approval, House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon (ruling Unity Party) last week led a large number of Liberian lawmakers to President Boakai’s Executive Mansion office. He said they were there not to discuss legislative matters but to shower praises on him for bringing into the country the yellow machines, after visiting the Freeport of Monrovia ”to see them with our own eyes and touch them”.
Speaker Koon, who is heavily criticized by government’s critics for one-time referring to himself as “regime Speaker”, described the arrival of the equipment as a “new dawn” for Liberia’s road sector and pledged continued legislative support to advance rural development and national connectivity, an Executive Mansion press release said last week.
The Liberian House Speaker also said when the next batch of yellow machines arrive in the country, he and other Lawmakers will be attired in yellow from top to bottom down to their shoes.
Media reports have speak of mixed reactions that have greeted the latest arrival of the yellow machines “reflect the complex relationship between public sentiment and the implantation of infrastucture projects in Liberia.”
The reports continue that while the yellow machines initiative is seen as a significant step towards improving the country’s infrastructure, but it also raises important questions about governance and accountability.
In a news story on Thursday, February 26, 2026, the state broadcaster quoted “several Liberians” as expressing “strong support for the initiative, describing the arrival as tangible evidence of the government’s commitment to national development.”
But the local newspaper New Dawn quoted some Liberians as not being so excited about the arrival of the yellow machines, while others welcomed it as a good initiative.
James Wallace argued that “argued that the machines’ arrival is long overdue and not something to celebrate,” the paper reported.
Despite the serious flaws in the genesis of the yellow machines deal—procurements, contradictions and other processes—some Liberians are calling for the newly created Brownie Samukai’s yellow machine Board of Authority “to take out politics and make sure the machines serve the internal purpose they were purchased for,”