After leaving the country on June 7 for what was officially described as a “brief private stay in Europe,” the Head of State returned to Yaoundé on August 20, ending what has been widely reported as his longest absence from the country since taking office in 1982.
But after 73 days away, President Biya does not simply return to Etoudi. He returns to a long list of questions, expectations, unfinished business and a country where many citizens are waiting to see whether his return will bring the long-awaited decisions that have remained pending for months and, in some cases, years.
He returns first to an inexistent Vice Presidency.
In April 2026, Cameroon amended its Constitution and restored the position of Vice-President of the Republic. The reform was presented as a measure to strengthen continuity at the highest level of the State. Yet months after the law was adopted, no Vice-President has been appointed. The office exists in the Constitution, but remains vacant in practice. The amended law on the Constitutional Council also gives the Vice-President a specific role in referring cases of permanent presidential incapacity to the Council.
The prolonged absence of the President only made this question more pressing. A constitutional mechanism has been created, but one of its central actors has not yet been appointed. For a country that has just experienced more than ten weeks of uncertainty over the physical location of its President, the question is no longer merely theoretical.
President Biya also returns to an administration where questions continue to be raised about officials who have reached retirement age but remain in office. Recent reports have pointed to several senior territorial administrators who have reached the statutory retirement age while continuing to occupy strategic positions. Whether through extensions or other administrative arrangements, the situation has fuelled debate about renewal within the State apparatus and the opportunities available to younger generations.
The same debate extends to several State-owned corporations and public institutions, where the question of ageing leadership, succession and the renewal of management remains a recurring subject of public discussion.
Then there is the Higher Judicial Council.
In June, the President renewed the membership of the Council after a long period of inactivity. But renewing its members is one thing; convening and making the institution fully operational is another. The judiciary has its own expectations, including issues relating to the careers, appointments and management of magistrates. The question now is when the Council will fully return to work.
President Biya also returns to a country where women and young people continue to wait for greater space, greater responsibility and a stronger voice in national decision-making.
Cameroon is a young country. Its young people dominate the population, but the structures of political and administrative power have remained largely resistant to renewal. Every major political season comes with promises of youth participation and women's empowerment. Yet many continue to ask when these promises will translate into appointments, opportunities and genuine inclusion.
And then there is the question of the long-awaited new government.
The current government has remained in place despite the passage of time and major political developments. Even before the President's long absence, public debate had been growing over the need for a reshuffle and the replacement of officials who have died, resigned or whose positions have become the subject of prolonged speculation. The official government listing still reflects the existing administration, while the question of when a new team will be appointed remains unanswered.
Meanwhile, the ruling CPDM has been anything but quiet.
Its bigwigs have continued to criss-cross the national territory, holding meetings and strengthening party structures as the country moves towards the next municipal and legislative elections. Political mobilisation has continued even while the country waited for the return of its President.
But politics is not the only matter waiting on the President's desk.
He returns to Yaoundé and other major cities where waste management remains a daily challenge. Piles of garbage remain a familiar sight in several neighbourhoods, raising serious questions about sanitation, public health and the effectiveness of the institutions charged with keeping the country's major urban centres clean.
He returns at the height of a rainy season that has once again exposed the vulnerability of Cameroon's cities.
From Yaoundé to Douala, Bamenda, Limbe and other urban centres, floods and landslides have destroyed homes, disrupted lives and claimed lives. Every rainy season seems to bring the same images, the same emergency visits, the same condolences and the same promises. Yet the next rains often arrive before the underlying problems are solved.
The President also returns to widespread complaints about electricity and water supply.
Electricity and the water sector continue to face public criticism over interruptions in basic services. In several communities, frustration has reached the point of public protest. The recent situation in Upper Bonduma, Buea, where residents protested over a prolonged power outage, is only one example of the growing impatience. The broader question is whether essential public services can continue to be managed through emergency responses while citizens wait endlessly for sustainable solutions.
Then there is the rising cost of living.
For the ordinary Cameroonian, politics and constitutional debates often mean little when the price of basic commodities continues to put pressure on household budgets. Cooking gas, rice and other essential goods remain subjects of constant complaint, particularly where consumers believe products are being sold above officially approved prices.
For a mother struggling to feed her family, a youth searching for employment or a worker whose salary has not increased, the real question is simple: When will life become more affordable?
Seventy-three days after leaving Cameroon, President Biya has returned.
But the real issue is not simply that he is back.
The country he returns to is still waiting.
Waiting for a Vice-President to be appointed.
Waiting for greater institutional renewal.
Waiting for the Higher Judicial Council to fully address the matters before it.
Waiting for a possible new government.
Waiting for women and young people to be given greater responsibility.
Waiting for answers to persistent questions surrounding the management of public institutions.
Waiting for cleaner cities.
Waiting for lasting solutions to floods and landslides.
Waiting for better electricity and water services.
Waiting for prices to become bearable.
Waiting, above all, for the machinery of the State to move with greater urgency.
President Biya's return has brought an end to one long wait. But it may also mark the beginning of another.
After 73 days away, Cameroonians will be watching not just for the President's presence at the Unity Palace, but for the decisions that follow.
Because a return home, by itself, cannot solve the problems.
The real question now is: after 73 days away, what will President Biya do with the country waiting for him?
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