The Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, has undertaken a comprehensive inspection of the long-delayed Kejetia Market Phase II and Krofrom Market projects in Kumasi, as government steps up efforts to get both key trading hubs completed.
The weekend inspection brought together the Kumasi Mayor, Richard Kwasi Ofori Boadi Agyemang, the Apagyahene, Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV, alongside heads of departments at the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
The visit aimed to assess the current state of the infrastructure, identify underlying challenges stalling progress, and map out practical measures to ensure work resumes swiftly on site.
Work on the Kejetia Market Phase II began over seven years ago following a joint sod-cutting ceremony by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. However, construction has remained at a standstill for more than three years, despite the project reaching roughly 70 per cent completion.
The Krofrom Market project has suffered an even longer cycle of delay. Initiated in 2007 to expand commercial space and offer modern facilities to local merchants, irregular funding has repeatedly disrupted construction, leaving the site incomplete for over a decade.
Local traders and residents continue to bear the brunt of these delays. The abandoned Krofrom facility has drawn significant concern over its physical deterioration, while many traders remain forced to operate under precarious conditions in temporary structures.
Mr Ayariga’s inspection offers the Ministry and the KMA a crucial opportunity to review outstanding bottlenecks and chart a clear path towards finalizing both developments.
As two central pillars of Kumasi’s commercial sector, their completion is expected to organize local trading, improve business operations, and bolster the livelihoods of thousands of vendors across the metropolis.
To help bridge the funding gap, the KMA confirmed that GH¢100 million has been secured from the government through the Social Investment Fund to support the completion of the Krofrom Market, which requires an estimated GH¢179 million to fully finish.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
