Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Mayor Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi has defended his approach to city management, arguing that clearing main roads of hawkers ultimately benefits business growth and employment despite criticism from within his own party.
Speaking in a radio interview, Mayor Boadi framed his decongestion initiatives as economically necessary rather than merely punitive, claiming that free flowing traffic creates conditions for business expansion and job opportunities. The mayor has faced pushback from National Democratic Congress (NDC) members who question the selective nature of enforcement exercises targeting street vendors.
“I do the decongestion where it is supposed to be done. You do not have to sell on the main road; the asphalt is not for hawking,” he said during the appearance on Ezra Radio. He suggested that while complaints have emerged about his methods, providing clarification has helped address misunderstandings about the policy’s intent.
Boadi presented an economic argument connecting road congestion to unemployment, asserting that traffic delays undermine commercial activity throughout the metropolis. According to his analysis, congested roads slow business operations, reduce profit margins, limit companies’ ability to expand, and ultimately shrink the job market.
“Road congestion slows down business, which reduces profits, limits expansion, and ultimately increases unemployment,” he explained. “My decongestion exercise reverses this cycle, allowing traffic to flow freely, boosting business, increasing profits, encouraging expansion, and creating more jobs for the people.”
The mayor indicated that his campaign ahead of the 2028 elections would highlight changes at Adum, where he claims traffic improvements have begun transforming commercial conditions. Adum serves as a major trading hub within the Central Business District and has been a focal point of KMA enforcement actions since Boadi assumed office.
His comments reflect ongoing tension between municipal authorities’ drive to restore order to public spaces and the economic realities facing thousands of informal traders who depend on street vending for survival. The mayor acknowledged that governing requires demonstrating tangible results in ways that opposition politics does not.
“In opposition, you campaign by pointing out the faults of those in power. But when you are the one governing, people judge your actual performance before deciding to vote for you,” he observed, drawing a distinction between criticism and delivery.
Boadi secured confirmation as KMA Chief Executive in April with overwhelming Assembly Member support, winning 55 of 56 votes cast. He previously served as Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi under the NDC administration before President John Dramani Mahama nominated him to lead Ghana’s second largest city.
The Ashanti Regional Minister Dr Frank Amoakohene charged Boadi upon confirmation to prioritise decongesting Kumasi, improving sanitation, and addressing challenges at Kejetia Market. Those issues have complicated governance in the metropolis for years and featured prominently in political discourse leading to the 2024 elections.
Boadi moved quickly after taking office, announcing in mid April that KMA would implement sweeping decongestion operations targeting traders on pavements and roadways. He emphasised that the exercise would employ innovative approaches designed to maintain commercial activity while reclaiming public walkways rather than relying on military presence.
The mayor issued stern warnings to vendors operating on pavements within the Central Business District and Central Market, directing them to vacate immediately ahead of the operation. He indicated that KMA had provided sufficient notice and would enforce bylaws strictly moving forward.
“If you are selling on the pavement, adjust yourself. If you are in the middle of any dual carriageway road, especially within the central business district, please get out of the place,” he stated at the time. “Everybody wants to sell at Adum, so we will find some ingenious way to keep them in Adum and decongest Adum.”
However, his enforcement strategy sparked controversy when he suggested using what he termed “military democratic style” policing that would include physical confrontation with recalcitrant traders. The comments drew sharp rebuke from legal practitioner Samson Lardy Anyenini, who warned that threats of violence against traders constitute assault and violate constitutional protections.
Lardy invoked Article 15 of Ghana’s Constitution, which prohibits torture, cruelty, and degrading treatment, arguing that democratic governance requires lawful enforcement methods regardless of the legitimacy of decongestion goals. The clash highlighted tensions between municipal authority and informal livelihoods that recur across Ghanaian cities.
Boadi also announced plans to address stray livestock within KMA jurisdiction, warning cattle owners in mid April that animals found roaming near the airport road or other areas would be killed and provided to prisons for feeding beginning May 1. He described the presence of livestock and animal waste as unacceptable for a major metropolitan area.
The various policies reflect Boadi’s declared commitment to strict bylaw enforcement and what he has characterised as necessary discipline to reverse years of urban disorder. He has expressed frustration with previous approaches including arrests and confiscations, which he said failed to produce lasting compliance because offenders quickly returned to prohibited activities.
More than 60 percent of Ghana’s workforce operates in the informal sector according to labour statistics, complicating efforts to balance urban planning objectives with economic survival strategies. Street vending provides income for thousands of families in Kumasi, creating political sensitivity around enforcement campaigns that threaten livelihoods.
Critics have accused municipal authorities in multiple cities of prioritising aesthetics over socioeconomic realities when conducting decongestion exercises. Past operations in both Accra and Kumasi generated public backlash and claims that officials disregard the circumstances pushing people into informal trading.
Supporters of stronger enforcement argue that uncontrolled street vending creates safety hazards, impedes emergency vehicle access, damages infrastructure, and undermines efforts to create organised commercial environments. The debate centres partly on whether alternative spaces and support systems exist for displaced traders.
Mayor Boadi maintains that his approach serves residents’ interests and long term business development rather than arbitrary preferences. He indicated that feedback from residents guides his priorities even as some party members question specific tactics or implementation choices.
The mayor’s emphasis on connecting decongestion to employment represents an attempt to reframe enforcement actions in economic development terms. Whether that messaging proves persuasive with voters ahead of 2028 depends partly on visible improvements to traffic flow and commercial conditions in areas like Adum.
Boadi inherits a complex urban management challenge in Kumasi, where rapid growth, limited formal economic opportunities, and infrastructure constraints create pressure on public spaces. His tenure will test whether strict enforcement combined with promised support for organised commercial activity can produce sustainable solutions.
The KMA operates under oversight from the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council, which has pledged cooperation in addressing development challenges facing the metropolis. How effectively the mayor navigates tensions between order, economic inclusion, and political support may influence both his personal trajectory and broader NDC fortunes in the Ashanti Region.
