The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South Constituency, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has reiterated the urgent need for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to take the lead in market redevelopment across Ghana to curb the persistent outbreak of devastating market fires.
According to Dr Agyemang, the long-standing practice of allowing traders to rebuild markets on their own after fire disasters is a fundamental flaw that has only deepened the cycle of destruction and loss. He argued that traders, who often lack engineering and structural planning expertise, are ill-equipped to construct safe and durable market infrastructure.
“Traders must not be allowed to reconstruct markets. Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies must take the lead in market redevelopment to address the persistent fire outbreaks,” he stated.
His comments follow yet another major fire outbreak at the Kasoa New Market on Sunday afternoon. The blaze, which started around 4:00 p.m., swept through the busy commercial hub, destroying more than 360 stalls and goods worth thousands of cedis.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has attributed the fire to an electrical fault, with preliminary investigations suggesting faulty wiring as the possible cause. The incident marks the second major fire to hit the same section of the market within a year, heightening concerns among traders and residents.
Some traders have accused the Fire Service of a delayed response, alleging that late notification to emergency services worsened the extent of the damage. The GNFS, however, maintains that its personnel encountered logistical challenges upon arrival at the scene, which hindered firefighting efforts.
Kasoa’s latest blaze is not an isolated incident. In recent years, Ghana has experienced a troubling trend of market fires, including the devastating inferno at Accra’s Kantamanto Market in January 2025, which destroyed thousands of stalls and disrupted tens of thousands of livelihoods. Similar incidents have also occurred in major commercial centres such as Kumasi’s Adum and Techiman markets.
Investigations into many of these fires have identified poorly structured stalls, unauthorised electrical connections, blocked access routes that impede firefighting operations, and inadequate fire safety infrastructure as key contributors to the scale of destruction.
Insurance and Accountability
Dr Agyemang also criticised the government’s lack of urgency in implementing a comprehensive insurance policy for markets and other public spaces nationwide. He expressed concern that despite repeatedly raising the issue in Parliament, there has been little progress in providing insurance coverage to cushion traders against such disasters.
“It is long overdue for the government to prioritise insurance for all markets and public spaces in the country,” he said, accusing authorities of failing to provide clear responses during parliamentary scrutiny.
For Dr Agyemang, the recurring nature of market fires goes beyond unfortunate accidents and reflects deeper systemic challenges in urban planning, market infrastructure development, and disaster preparedness. He believes a government-led reconstruction strategy, driven by MMDAs with technical oversight and strict adherence to safety standards, will significantly reduce future fire outbreaks and safeguard traders’ livelihoods.
As traders await relief and support following the latest Kasoa market fire, stakeholders agree that ad hoc rebuilding by traders themselves is neither a sustainable nor a safe solution.
