Lawmakers representing constituencies in Kumasi, Ghana’s Ashanti Region, have sounded the alarm over a relentless wave of fire outbreaks gutting market centers and industrial zones, inflicting staggering economic losses on communities already strained by a fragile national economy.
The calls for intervention follow a devastating blaze last Friday at Suame Magazine, a sprawling hub for spare parts dealers and artisans, where flames consumed 25 shops, 34 vehicles, and millions of cedis worth of property, leaving families and businesses in ruins.
Led by Bantama MP Francis Asenso Boakye, a cross-party delegation of Kumasi lawmakers visited the charred remains of Suame Magazine this week, pledging collaboration to tackle what they describe as a preventable crisis. The group, including MPs from Oforikrom, Suame, Manhyia, and Tafo, underscored the urgency of addressing systemic risks such as illegal electrical wiring, haphazard construction, and poor urban planning—factors they say have turned fire disasters into a grim “annual ritual.”
“The scale of destruction here is not just heartbreaking—it’s economically crippling,” Asenso Boakye told reporters, surveying the ash-strewn site where traders sifted through debris. “We cannot keep rebuilding from ashes while ignoring the root causes.” His remarks echoed the frustration of artisans who blamed decades of neglect in infrastructure and safety enforcement for the recurring tragedies.
The Suame inferno is the latest in a string of fires to hit Kumasi, a commercial heartbeat of Ghana. In 2022, a similar disaster razed the Kumasi Central Market, displacing thousands. Analysts estimate such incidents cost the national economy tens of millions annually, exacerbating unemployment and supply chain disruptions. Critics argue that while lawmakers rush to sympathize after each disaster, lasting solutions remain elusive due to lax regulation and political inertia.
During their visit, the MPs highlighted glaring vulnerabilities: makeshift structures built with flammable materials, tangled overhead electrical cables, and overcrowded layouts that hinder firetrucks. Suame Magazine, home to over 200,000 artisans, epitomizes these risks. Many shops double as living quarters, with gas cylinders and welding equipment stored inches from cooking fires. Fire hydrants, where they exist, are often inaccessible due to chaotic street congestion.
“We’ve normalized danger here,” said Kwabena Osei, a spare parts dealer who lost his shop in Friday’s fire. “After every disaster, officials promise change, but nothing happens. We’re tired of empty words.”
The lawmakers’ pledge to “work collaboratively” has been met with cautious optimism. Asenso Boakye emphasized plans to lobby for stricter zoning laws, modernized electrical grids, and mandatory fire safety training for traders. However, past initiatives have floundered. A 2020 government directive to relocate informal workshops to safer sites stalled amid funding gaps and resistance from vendors unwilling to abandon prime commercial real estate.
Political watchers note that the MPs’ unified front—rare in Ghana’s often partisan landscape—signals growing pressure to act. With general elections looming in 2028, the ruling party faces heightened scrutiny over its ability to safeguard livelihoods. Yet tangible progress will require more than political will. Fire services in Kumasi, per a 2023 audit, operate with outdated equipment and just three functional firetrucks for a population exceeding 3 million.
For now, traders like Adwoa Mensah, whose salon car repair shop was reduced to cinders, cling to hope. “We’re not asking for miracles—just basic safety,” she said. “If the MPs can deliver even that, it would be a start.”
As Kumasi picks up the pieces, the question lingers: Will this disaster finally ignite the reforms needed to break the cycle—or will the next fire tell the same old story?
