Members of the Muslim community in Kete-Krachi, located in the Krachi West Municipality of the Oti Region, have launched a spirited campaign to protect what they describe as sacred prayer grounds from being sold off for commercial development.
The disputed land, long regarded as a central site for Islamic worship and spiritual gatherings, is now at the heart of tensions between developers and residents who fear the erasure of their cultural and religious identity.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr. Hukash Muntari, secretary of the Kete-Krachi Muslim Youth Association, voiced deep concern over what he called an “alarming trend” of selling off spaces vital to the community’s religious life.
“These grounds are more than just open spaces — they are woven into the spiritual fabric of our people,” Mr. Muntari said. “To lose them is to lose a part of ourselves.”
He warned that the sale of such lands could lead to the collapse of long-standing communal prayer traditions and weaken the Islamic identity that binds the faithful together. “Our places of worship serve not only as spiritual hubs but as centres of unity and social support,” he added.
The Muslim community is now calling on traditional leaders, municipal authorities, and relevant government agencies to immediately halt the transactions and open dialogue with affected residents. They are also considering legal action to reclaim parcels of land already sold.
“This is not just a fight for property—it’s a fight for preservation of faith, culture, and dignity,” Mr. Muntari emphasized.
The development comes amid broader national debates on land tenure, religious rights, and the protection of cultural heritage sites in Ghana’s rapidly urbanizing towns and cities.
As pressure mounts, the Kete-Krachi case is fast becoming a symbol of the delicate balance between economic development and the preservation of religious and ancestral legacies.
