Weeks after the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly’s (KMA) eviction deadline elapsed, hundreds of informal traders at the bustling Kejetia market continue to occupy pavements and unauthorized trading spaces — not out of defiance, they say, but desperation.
Despite a two-week ultimatum issued on April 14 by KMA Chief Executive Richard Ofori-Agyemang Ofori Boadi, the traders insist they have nowhere else to go. The assembly had threatened sanctions for non-compliance, but enforcement has so far failed to dislodge a resilient group of vendors who rely on daily sales for survival.
“It’s not that we don’t want to move,” said Mary Bawa, a food vendor who now operates under increasingly difficult conditions. “But move to where? They tell us to leave, yet no proper alternative has been given.”
The human toll behind the continued occupation is evident. For fire victims like Mr. Ofosuhene, who lost his goods in the recent Adum Blue Light blaze, the pavement is all that remains of his business.
“How can I pay my children’s fees when I have nothing left?” he asked, echoing the dilemma faced by many.
The lack of sanitation, a visible concern in the area, has been exacerbated by this standoff. Traders like Madam Bawa argue that their willingness to maintain cleanliness has waned since they were told to leave.
“Why should we clean a space they say we can’t use?” she questioned, frustrated at what she views as a lack of empathy from city officials.
Yet while traders make their case from a survival standpoint, some residents and commuters back the KMA’s cleanup effort, pointing to safety, order, and traffic flow.
Taxi driver Patrick described the current congestion as a “daily nightmare” and praised city officials for trying to restore normalcy.
KMA officials admit enforcement has proven tricky. According to Mr. Sarfo Agyei, the task force faces a daily game of cat-and-mouse as traders vacate the area only to return hours later.
Still, he remains hopeful: “We are confident the area will be cleared by month-end. It’s a process, and we are committed to seeing it through.”
As the stalemate drags on, the clash between enforcement and economic necessity underscores the deeper urban management challenges facing Ghana’s rapidly growing cities.
