Mary Broh

Mary Tanyonoh Broh (born 1951) is a Liberian public official who served as Acting Mayor of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, from 2009 to 2013. Appointed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, she became known for efforts to improve sanitation, enforce municipal regulations, and restore basic city services in the aftermath of Liberia's civil wars.

Before becoming mayor, Broh held several positions within the Liberian government, including Special Projects Coordinator in the Executive Mansion, Director of the Passport Bureau, and Deputy Director of the National Port Authority. Her tenure at the Passport Bureau was associated with efforts to reduce corruption in Liberia's passport issuance system.

Broh's time as mayor drew both support and criticism. While some observers credited her administration with improving sanitation and enforcing city ordinances, others criticized her enforcement methods and confrontations with legislators and community groups. She resigned in February 2013 following a political dispute involving the arrest of a county official but was later renominated to serve again as Acting Mayor.

After leaving the mayor's office, Broh continued to hold senior government positions, including Director-General of the General Services Agency]]. In 2025, she was named among several former officials indicted in connection with allegations involving the diversion of donated rice intended for disaster-affected communities. She denied wrongdoing and court proceedings were ongoing as of mid-2025.

Shortly after her appointment as Acting Mayor of Monrovia by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Mary Broh faced scrutiny from members of the Legislature regarding the length of her acting status, as her nomination had not been confirmed by the Liberian Senate.^[1]

During her tenure, Broh launched several initiatives aimed at improving sanitation and public health in the capital. These included citywide clean-up campaigns, enforcement of municipal sanitation regulations, and efforts to regulate informal street markets and roadside vendors. In October 2009, the Monrovia City Corporation began enforcing a revised version of City Ordinance No. 1, originally enacted in 1975, to address waste management, street vending, and other urban environmental concerns.^[2]

Broh also oversaw efforts to clear debris from beaches, remove abandoned war-damaged structures, and expand access to public sanitation facilities. These initiatives received support from international organizations, including the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which provided assistance for urban sanitation and waste management programs in Monrovia.^[3][4]

Controversy followed Mary Broh throughout her tenure and came to the forefront in 2011 and 2012; media reports focused on Mary Broh's destruction of public market places, physical altercations with Senate staff members and heated verbal exchanges with legislators and journalists. In February 2013, Mary Broh came to the aid of another embattled public official, Grace Kpaan, Montserrado County Superintendent, whom security officials apprehended as a result of bribery allegations she made against Representative Edward Forh (CDC-district #16 Montserrado County). Mary Broh was cited with obstruction of justice when she intervened in Grace Kpaan's arrest and both were suspended by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.^[5][6] Intense public opinion and collateral damage from previous legislative clashes created a difficult position for President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who was away on government business when this situation developed. Mary Broh submitted her resignation to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, effective February 28, 2013.^[7] Among a number of noteworthy statements issued in defense of Mary Broh and her impact on Monrovia, Ms. Deborah R. Malac, US Ambassador to Liberia, weighed in on what she perceived as the culmination of gender politics and an atmosphere of sexist hostility and violence towards women.^[8][9]

On March 5, 2013, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf tapped Mary Broh to head the Project Implementation Unit of the Omega Village Project. In coordination with the Ministry of Public Works, the Liberian governmental lead on the project, Mary Broh will manage the multimillion-dollar development project for a large-scale community with residential housing, retail and municipal services. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority donated $500,000 in seed money to launch the Omega Village Project.^[10]

In early July 2013, media outlets announced that President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf reappointed several mayors to their posts, Mary Broh being chief among these appointments.^[11][12] Shortly after Mary Broh's controversial and highly publicized resignation from City Hall, reports began to surface about the declining state of sanitation and cleanliness in the capital.^[13] Members of the 53rd Liberian Legislature, some of which demanded Mary Broh's resignation in late February 2013, acknowledged the unsanitary conditions in the capital by calling upon the acting mayor, Henry Reed Cooper, to give account for the conditions in the city.^[14] Mary Broh's reappointment as Acting City Mayor remains contingent upon confirmation by the 53rd Liberian Legislature, the same body that blocked her confirmation and submitted a vote of "no confidence" in July 2012.^[15][16]

After serving as Mayor of Monrovia, Broh held senior positions within the Liberian government, including Director-General of the General Services Agency. In 2025, media reports identified her as heading an anti-power theft task force associated with the Liberia Electricity Corporation, part of broader government efforts to curb electricity losses and improve revenue collection.^[17]

In June 2025, Broh was named among several former senior Liberian officials indicted in connection with allegations involving the misappropriation of rice donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for disaster-affected communities in Liberia. The rice—29,412 bags donated in 2023 through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center—was intended for distribution by the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).^[18]

According to the grand jury indictment, investigators alleged that approximately 25,054 bags of the donated rice were unlawfully diverted or sold, resulting in losses valued at about US$425,918. Broh, who previously served as Director-General of the General Services Agency, was initially arrested and later released from Monrovia Central Prison without a formal bond hearing. She was charged alongside other former officials with offenses including theft of property, economic sabotage, misuse of public money, abuse of office, and criminal conspiracy.^[19]

Broh denied any wrongdoing. In an interview with the Liberian press, she criticized the indictment as politically motivated and described the charges as “laughable” and “sad,” stating that she was considering legal action against the Government of Liberia for defamation.^[20]

As of mid-2025, court proceedings were ongoing. Several defendants in the case turned themselves in and reached bond agreements, while the matter remained before Criminal Court “C.” All defendants were presumed innocent pending the outcome of judicial proceedings.^[21][22]

• Timeline of Monrovia