The leadership of the Kejetia Petty Traders Association has appealed to President John Dramani Mahama’s administration to prioritize their members when allocating stalls under the upcoming second phase of the Kejetia redevelopment project.
Emmanuel Kwarteng, the Association’s Chairman, highlighted that many traders were excluded from stall allocations in the first phase of the redevelopment, forcing them to continue their businesses in unsafe and unsanitary conditions on the streets.
Kwarteng’s concerns come as the second phase of the Kejetia-Central Market redevelopment project nears completion. Once finished, it is expected to offer 6,500 leasable commercial spaces, 5,400 enclosed stores, 50 restaurants, and 800 kiosks, in addition to important amenities such as a fire service station, police station, and mini-theatre. In an interview with Business and Financial Times, Kwarteng expressed his hope that the new phase would address the gaps left by the first phase, especially for traders who were left without proper operating spaces.
“We wish to congratulate H.E. President John Dramani Mahama on his victory in the recent elections and his swearing-in as president of the country. As we celebrate this milestone, we humbly request that your administration addresses the challenges faced by our members, particularly those who were excluded during the allocation of stalls in the Kejetia project’s first phase,” Kwarteng said. He emphasized that the lack of suitable stalls has created significant challenges for traders, limiting their ability to grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods.
Work on the second phase of the redevelopment began in 2022 but faced delays and was abandoned in early 2023 due to funding issues. Local traders and residents in the Ashanti Region have repeatedly called on the government to resume work on the project, with some even threatening protests to demand the release of funds. While there have been recent announcements about the resumption of work, the project is not expected to be completed on schedule. Former Kumasi Mayor Sam Pyne noted that the delays meant the project could not be finished by February 2024 as originally planned. “Realistically, we cannot complete it before the elections,” he said in August 2024.
As the second phase continues to take shape, traders in the area remain hopeful that their long-standing concerns will be addressed and that the project will provide much-needed relief for those struggling to find proper operating spaces.