The Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, announced a two-week decongestion campaign to address the city’s longstanding sanitation challenges and the unauthorized trading that clutters its central business district.
In an interview on Citi FM’s Eyewitness News, he explained that the initiative is aimed at reclaiming public spaces and restoring order to areas where traders have occupied pedestrian walkways and roads, a situation he described as one in which “Kumasi is engulfed with so much filth.”
He emphasized that past efforts involving the police had proven costly and ineffective, explaining, “I don’t believe in using the police for decongestion because I will spend so much on them, and after that we will get back to the status quo.” The mayor noted that parts of the Central Business District, including key zones where traders cook and sell food on the streets, detract from the city’s image and compromise safety.
The campaign, which will proceed without a heavy reliance on police intervention, seeks to clear unauthorized vendors from strategic areas, thereby enhancing both the aesthetic appeal and functionality of Kumasi’s urban spaces. Although Mayor Boadi did not confirm whether this approach had received official backing from national leadership, he urged residents to remain focused on achieving tangible improvement in the city’s environment.
His remarks come amid ongoing efforts by local authorities to address persistent congestion and disorder problems that have challenged successive administrations in one of Ghana’s major urban centers.
This drive toward urban renewal reflects an evolving approach to city management in Kumasi. The mayor’s strategy signals a departure from traditional enforcement methods that have repeatedly fallen short of delivering lasting change. By prioritizing cost-effective, direct measures over conventional police-led operations, the administration seeks to foster a cleaner and more orderly environment while curbing the behaviors that have long hindered economic and social progress.
Experts observe that sustainable urban management requires not only strict enforcement but also initiatives that address underlying issues such as inadequate designated trading areas and systemic infrastructure challenges. The current campaign may therefore serve as a critical step toward not only reclaiming public space but also laying the groundwork for a more integrated and responsive urban development plan.
