KMA Boss Hot Over Traders’ Flogging

Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi

 

The Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi, popularly known as King Zuba, is facing mounting pressure following his controversial call for public flogging of recalcitrant traders and the slaughter of stray livestock, both part of what he describes as a “democratic-military style” of urban discipline and sanitation enforcement.

In a press conference on Tuesday, King Zuba announced that from April 24, traders who return to pavements or unauthorised areas in Kumasi’s Central Business District would be publicly caned.

He claimed to have assembled a team of 10 well-built men armed with rattan canes, tasked with patrolling the streets and executing the punishment without police involvement.

“If anyone is caught trading in the middle of the road, they will be flogged publicly,” the Mayor declared. “When we say leave and you don’t, and my boys are with me—there and then—we will beat you.”

He further announced that from May 1, any stray cattle found roaming within city limits will be captured and butchered, with the meat donated to inmates at the Kumasi Central Prisons.

Minority Responds

The Mayor’s remarks have drawn sharp condemnation from across the political spectrum, with the Minority in Parliament calling his approach reckless, inhumane, and legally untenable.

In a strongly worded press statement, Francis Asenso-Boakye, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama and Ranking Member of the Local Government and Rural Development Committee, criticised the comments as “reckless” and warned they could undermine public confidence in local authorities and expose the Assembly to potential human rights violations.

While acknowledging that the Local Governance Act (Act 936) empowers Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to enforce bylaws and ensure public order, including decongesting public spaces, the Minority stressed that “violence, threats of physical abuse, and the use of fear as a governance tool are unacceptable in any form and have no place in a constitutional democracy like ours.”

The Minority called on the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to intervene immediately, urging him to impress upon the Mayor the need to retract his comments and adopt a more lawful, respectful, and humane approach.

“The goal of decongestion must not be pursued at the cost of livelihoods. Traders are not adversaries—they are citizens contributing to the local economy under often difficult conditions,” the statement read.

The Caucus also urged the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to meaningfully engage with affected traders and work with stakeholders to provide suitable alternative trading spaces.

“We remain committed to promoting inclusive, accountable, and human-centered local governance. Clean and organised cities can and must be achieved through collaborative planning, education, and lawful enforcement—not intimidation and violence,” the statement added.

FROM David Afum, Kumasi

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