{{Short description|Liberian politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder | name = Mary Tanyonoh Broh | image = Mary Broh in Monrovia (2009).jpg | caption = Broh in Monrovia during an interview near the Executive Mansion (2009) | office = Acting Mayor of Monrovia | president = Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | term_start = February 2009 | term_end = February 2013 | predecessor = Ophelia Hoff Saytumah | successor = Henry Reed Cooper | office2 = Acting Mayor of Monrovia | president2 = Ellen Johnson Sirleaf | term_start2 = July 2013 | term_end2 = | predecessor2 = Henry Reed Cooper | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1951}} | birth_place = Liberia | occupation = Politician, public administrator }}
[[File:Mayor Mary Broh Presents US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with the Key to Monrovia.jpg|thumbnail|Sec. Clinton accepts a key to the City from Mary Broh (August 21, 2009)]]
'''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.
==Initiatives==
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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Prolonged Acting Status of Mayor Broh Claims Rep. Smith's Attention |url=http://legislature.gov.lr/content/prolonged-acting-status-mayor-broh-claims-rep-smiths-attention |website=Legislature of Liberia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515213537/http://legislature.gov.lr/content/prolonged-acting-status-mayor-broh-claims-rep-smiths-attention |archive-date=2012-05-15}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |title=City Ordinance No. 1 Takes Effect Today |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200910020297.html |work=The Informer |date=1 October 2009}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web |title=IDA at Work in Liberia: Digging Out Monrovia from the Waste of War |url=http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/IDA/0,,print:Y~isCURL:Y~contentMDK:22301640~menuPK:4754051~pagePK:51236175~piPK:437394~theSitePK:73154,00.html |website=World Bank |date=August 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=DIG support to the city under the Gates Foundation funded Global Program for Inclusive Municipal Governance |url=http://www.developinnovations.com/Programs.aspx |website=Development Innovations Group}}</ref>
== Controversy and resignation == 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.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130217053141/http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/news/general-news/5290-secret-recording-rattles-legislature-county-supt-kpaan-told-to-show-evidence.html "Secret Recording Rattles Legislature, County Supt. Kpaan Told to Show Evidence"] FrontPage Africa, February 14, 2013</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130224010756/http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/politics/42-politics/5347-you-eat-i-eat-court-of-public-opinion-liberia-house-split-over-bribery-recording.html "'You Eat; I Eat': Court of Public Opinion, Liberia House Split Over Bribery Recording"] FrontPage Africa, February 20, 2013</ref> 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.<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/201303030351.html?aa_source=slideout "Acting Monrovia City Mayor, Mary Broh, Resigns"] allAfrica.com, Retrieved on March 3, 2013</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/12/embassy-row-dont-raze-me-broh/?page=all "Embassy Row: Don’t raze me, Broh"] washingtontimes.com, Retrieved on July 13, 2013</ref><ref>[http://monrovia.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html "Ambassador Deborah R. Malac"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130820072146/http://monrovia.usembassy.gov/ambassador.html |date=2013-08-20 }} monrovia.usembassy.gov, Retrieved on July 13, 2013</ref>
== Omega Village Project == 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.<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/201303051437.html "Liberia: Former Acting City Mayor, Mary Broh, Named to Head Project Implementation Unit of Omega Village Project"] allafrica.com, Retrieved on July 12, 2013</ref>
== Renomination == 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.<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/201307121080.html "Liberia: A Second Chance for Mary Broh for Progress"] allAfrica.com, Retrieved on July 12, 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.emansion.gov.lr/2press.php?news_id=2656&related=7&pg=sp "President Sirleaf Nominates 15 City Mayors, including Monrovia’s Mary T. Broh"] emansion.gov.lr, Retrieved on July 12, 2013</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.news.heritageliberia.net/index.php/columns-opinions-letters/patriot-s-diary/1839-mountain-of-garbage-resurfaces-in-monrovia-mary-broh-s-hit-squad-challenged-to-sweep-our-streets "Mountain of Garbage Resurfaces in Monrovia: Mary Broh’s “Hit Squad” Challenged to Sweep our Streets"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130625045124/http://www.news.heritageliberia.net/index.php/columns-opinions-letters/patriot-s-diary/1839-mountain-of-garbage-resurfaces-in-monrovia-mary-broh-s-hit-squad-challenged-to-sweep-our-streets |date=2013-06-25 }} heritageliberia.net, Retrieved on July 12, 2013</ref> 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.<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/201306140734.html "Liberia: Lawmakers Cry for Mary Broh - Monrovia Sinks in Filth"] allafrica.com, Retrieved on July 12, 2013</ref> 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.<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/201307110930.html "Liberia: Mary Broh Returns to Monrovia City Hall"] allafrica.com, Retrieved on July 12, 2013</ref><ref>[http://www.news.heritageliberia.net/index.php/inside-heritage/governance/231-senate-vote-of-no-confidence-not-hold-general-broh "Senate Vote of no Confidence not Hold “General” Broh"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216102716/http://www.news.heritageliberia.net/index.php/inside-heritage/governance/231-senate-vote-of-no-confidence-not-hold-general-broh |date=2015-02-16 }} heritageliberia.net, Retrieved on July 12, 2013</ref>
== Later career == 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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Liberia: Police Invaded Sirleaf's Home to Arrest Mary Broh |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202506260481.html |work=AllAfrica |date=26 June 2025 |access-date=18 January 2026}}</ref>
== Legal matters == 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).<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Abednego |title=Saudi Rice Case: Dozen Turn Themselves In |url=https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/legal/saudi-rice-case-dozen-turn-themselves-in/article_88bde897-9d3a-43d6-a0e6-91f44574405a.html |work=Liberian Observer |date=30 June 2025 |access-date=18 January 2026}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Abednego |title=Saudi Rice Case: Dozen Turn Themselves In |url=https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/legal/saudi-rice-case-dozen-turn-themselves-in/article_88bde897-9d3a-43d6-a0e6-91f44574405a.html |work=Liberian Observer |date=30 June 2025 |access-date=18 January 2026}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mary Broh Threatens to Sue GOL |url=https://www.thenewdawnliberia.com/mary-broh-threatens-to-sue-gol/ |work=The New Dawn Liberia |date=2025 |access-date=18 January 2026}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Abednego |title=Saudi Rice Case: Dozen Turn Themselves In |url=https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/legal/saudi-rice-case-dozen-turn-themselves-in/article_88bde897-9d3a-43d6-a0e6-91f44574405a.html |work=Liberian Observer |date=30 June 2025 |access-date=18 January 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Liberia: Police Invaded Sirleaf's Home to Arrest Mary Broh |url=https://allafrica.com/stories/202506260481.html |work=AllAfrica |date=26 June 2025 |access-date=18 January 2026}}</ref>
==See also== * Timeline of Monrovia
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title=Mayor of Monrovia, Liberia | before=Ophelia Hoff Saytumah | years=February 2009–February 2013, July 2013 | after=''Henry Reed Cooper (March 2013-July 2013)''
}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broh, Mary}} Category:Living people Category:1951 births Category:Mayors of Monrovia Category:Women mayors of places in Liberia Category:Liberian people of Kru descent Category:21st-century Liberian politicians Category:21st-century Liberian women politicians