Government, Kejetia Phase II stakeholders begin dialogue on project completion
The Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, in collaboration with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), has engaged key stakeholders on measures to facilitate the completion of the Kumasi Kejetia Redevelopment Project Phase II.
The engagement, held at the Phase II project site, on sunday 20th September 2026, focused on the progress of the project, funding arrangements, outstanding challenges and measures required to ensure its completion.
In his welcome address, the Mayor of Kumasi, Richard Ofori-Agyemang Boadi, said the completion of Phase II remained a priority for President John Dramani Mahama and the Sector Minister, Mahama Ayariga.
He disclosed that following engagements with stakeholders and the Ministry of Finance, arrangements were being made for contractors to return to the project site in October 2026.
According to the Mayor, completing the project would help ease pressure and congestion in Kumasi’s Central Business District (CBD), while providing traders and other users with improved facilities.
He also raised concerns over the payment of rents and premiums, explaining that the original financing arrangement envisaged using proceeds from Phase I to support the development of subsequent phases.
However, he said revenue generated from Phase I had been inadequate, contributing to the need for additional government financing and delays in completing Phase II.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, reaffirmed government’s commitment to completing the project, describing Kejetia as an important commercial asset for Kumasi and the wider Ashanti Region.
He assured traders and transport operators that government remained committed to ensuring that they benefited from the completed facility.
Speaking on behalf of the Sector Minister, the Mayor disclosed that approximately GH¢89 million had so far been realised from Phase I, which he said was insufficient to finance the subsequent development as originally envisaged.
He further indicated that future charges for shops and other facilities would reflect their actual value.
Stakeholders were also reminded that the initial five-year premium period had elapsed. Traders with outstanding premium payments were therefore urged to settle their obligations by December 31, 2026, to avoid losing their shops due to non-payment.
Representing the Otumfuo Apagyahene, Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV, recalled that at the inception of Phase I, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II had been informed that proceeds from the first phase would contribute towards financing subsequent phases.
He therefore urged traders with outstanding premium obligations to fulfil their commitments.
Oheneba Owusu Afriyie IV also called on government to adhere to agreed rules and ensure fairness and transparency in the allocation of shops, stressing the need to avoid partisanship in the process.
He said Kumasi remained a major commercial hub and that the completion of Phase II would further strengthen the city’s role as a centre for trade and commerce.
Consultant to the project, Mr. Tony Asare Yeboah of Avargade Design Services, subsequently presented an overview of the Phase II development.
The project comprises four levels with a total of 10,528 trading points and a range of supporting facilities.
The ground floor is designed to include a 600-space parking area, transport facilities, bulk-breaking areas, warehouses, a crèche, clinic, police post, banking facilities, fire post and administrative offices.
The first floor will accommodate counters and a traditional market with approximately 3,760 trading spaces, while the second and third floors will contain lockable shops and other ancillary facilities, comprising approximately 6,650 spaces.
The engagement also featured an open forum during which stakeholders raised questions and concerns relating to the project and its completion.
The meeting ended with a renewed commitment by the stakeholders to finding a sustainable financing and implementation path to complete the Kejetia Phase II project and unlock its anticipated economic benefits for Kumasi and the Ashanti Region.
Source:starrfm.com.gh /Isaac Justice Bediako
Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, is expected to meet leaders of trader unions affected by the stalled Kejetia Market Phase II project (Central Market) in Kumasi today as government steps up efforts to revive the long-delayed redevelopment.
The meeting is expected to give the Minister an opportunity to engage directly with representatives of the affected traders and communicate government’s plans for completing the project, which has remained a major concern for traders and residents of the Kumasi Metropolis.
The engagement comes shortly after Mr Ayariga inspected the Kejetia Phase II and Krofrom Market projects during a working visit to Kumasi on August 30.
The inspection was aimed at assessing the current state of the projects, identifying the challenges behind the delays and exploring measures to facilitate the resumption and completion of the works.
The Kejetia Phase II project, which forms part of the redevelopment of the Kumasi Central Market, has faced prolonged delays, with construction suspended amid financial and contractual challenges.
Government said in May that the project was about 58.22 per cent complete when work was suspended, with engineering works reported to be substantially advanced.
The original contract, awarded in 2018 at a cost of €248 million, has since seen its projected cost rise to about €305.3 million due to delays, suspension claims and other outstanding financial obligations.
The previous government’s debt restructuring programme and the broader financial constraints associated with Ghana’s economic difficulties have been cited by government as contributing to the inability to settle outstanding Interim Payment Certificates, resulting in the demobilisation of the contractor.
The prolonged suspension has heightened concerns among traders and residents, with trader groups repeatedly calling for the project to resume. In April 2026, the Combined Kumasi Central Market Traders Union demanded the immediate return of contractors to site and threatened further action if work did not resume.
The delay has also had wider implications for commercial activity in the city, contributing to congestion and pushing some traders and hawkers onto streets and pavements within the central business district, according to recent government and media reports.
The Phase II development is intended to complement the existing Kejetia facility by providing additional commercial spaces and improving trading conditions in one of Ghana’s major commercial centres. The project is expected to provide thousands of trading spaces and create direct and indirect employment when completed.
Mr Ayariga has pledged to work with the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, contractors and other stakeholders to address the outstanding challenges and facilitate the completion of the project.
Today’s meeting with the trader unions is therefore expected to focus on the government’s proposed financing and implementation arrangements, the concerns of affected traders and the way forward for the resumption of construction.
For traders who have endured years of uncertainty over the project, the engagement is expected to provide further clarity on government’s plans and the prospects for the long-awaited completion of the Kejetia Phase II redevelopment.
Source:www.kumasimail.com
