Arraiján Mayor Receives 'Leader' Award for School Bus Program Under Electoral Prosecutor Investigation

The free school bus program in Arraiján, Panama, has been honored with the Leader Award 2026, presented by the National Decentralization Authority (AND). The award ceremony saw Arraiján Mayor Stefany Dayan Peñalba accept the recognition for a program she described as one of the district's most significant achievements, benefiting over 6,000 students.

Peñalba emphasized the program's impact, stating, "One of the best projects in the entire history of our Arraiján district is the school buses. In our first year of management, we achieved that goal. With that plan, we reached people's homes, telling them we were going to fulfill plan 10 through the purchase of school buses, which supply or benefit more than 6,000 students." She further elaborated on the service's operational details, noting that municipal staff begin work at 4:00 a.m. and maintain midday and afternoon routes. The mayor asserted that the initiative helps reduce school dropout rates, enhances student safety during commutes, and provides economic relief to families.

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One of the best projects in the entire history of our Arraiján district is the school buses. In our first year of management, we achieved that goal. With that plan, we reached people's homes, telling them we were going to fulfill plan 10 through the purchase of school buses, which supply or benefit more than 6,000 students.

However, the award comes amid scrutiny. The Electoral Attorney General's Office is conducting an investigation into the use of Peñalba's image and name on four municipal buses used for student transport. The National Secretariat for Children, Adolescents, and the Family (Senniaf) also initiated an investigation into the buses for the alleged use of minors' images. Additionally, the Arraiján Project Movement filed a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, alleging the misuse of municipal funds to promote the mayor's image on the buses, seeking an investigation into potential embezzlement.

The Leader Award 2026 voting period was from July 6 to July 26, with citizens selecting projects on the AND platform. A committee evaluated the submissions based on set criteria, narrowing down the finalists to 34 projects across four categories: Roadworks, Social Programs, Water Solutions, and Technology Applied to Basic Services. The selection process for the award itself involved public voting and committee evaluation, separate from the ongoing investigations into the bus program's labeling.

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This helps reduce school dropout rates. It also strengthens the safety of our students from their homes to their schools and is also an economic relief for all families. That is our safe, organized school transportation program for the construction of the new city.