“I Want to Protect Businesses” – Kumasi Mayor, Richard Ofori Agyemang (King Zuba) Pledges Support For Kumasi Traders

Hon. Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, has pledged to support businesses in Kumasi by addressing key challenges in the city’s central business district. His plans include improving parking and streamlining operations to create a more business-friendly environment.

Speaking on Kessben FM, he emphasized that the role of government, and by extension the KMA, is to ensure businesses can thrive. “We have treated our business people unfairly for too long. If we help them grow, they’ll expand and employ more people. That’s the job of the government. We shouldn’t make it harder for those trying to build something,” he stated.

According to him, current efforts by the Assembly are focused on decongesting the streets and making space for legitimate businesses. “Adum is the heart of commercial activity in Kumasi, attracting nearly a million people daily. We must put systems in place to ensure smooth business operations,” he said.
On the issue of parking, Hon. Boadi noted that the original idea behind on-street parking has been compromised. Many designated spaces have been repurposed, leading to congestion in unintended areas. He criticized the growing trend of using stationary vehicles as makeshift shops, warning that such activities will no longer be tolerated.

He also pointed out that paid parking, introduced to bring order, has been abused. He bemoaned the fact that people have taken matters into their own hands, making it difficult for visitors to find proper parking.

To address these problems, he outlined a few planned interventions. Drawing on best practices from the West, he proposed converting some roads in Adum into one-way routes to ease entry and movement. “Take the street leading to Kessben Media—we could divide it into three lanes. One lane could be temporarily used for commercial vehicle parking,” he explained. He added that redundant lanes would be marked with metal barriers to ensure proper on-street parking, gradually reducing congestion.

“It is seamless. You won’t even feel it. And you’ll move faster. We’ll also get everybody selling on the street off,” he added.

“I want to think forward. Kumasi has a problem today because we didn’t plan well. So I want to plan, at least for the next 10 years, what can conveniently accommodate the burden that is about to peak in the coming years.”

By: Julia Adu-Mensah