Former Mayor of Kumasi, Sam Pyne, has described efforts to decongest the central business district of Kumasi as a particularly challenging undertaking.
His remarks come in response to recent statements by the newly appointed Mayor, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, who has vowed to take decisive action against street vendors operating along sidewalks in the bustling heart of the Ashanti Regional capital.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, April 14, Mayor Boadi announced a fresh strategy aimed at addressing the issue. He revealed plans to implement a new model that combines democratic principles with strict, military-style enforcement to discourage illegal street vending and restore order to the city center.
“I have my own military-democratic style which I will be implementing. When we say leave the space and you don’t leave the space, and I get there and you’re still there with my boys — right there and then, we will beat you.
In the middle of Adum, if I’m alone, you’ll be lucky. But if I’m with my ten boys, in their pick-up with their whips — trust me, we will beat you. If you don’t want to experience that, do what is right and lawful.
This is Otumfuo’s city, the Garden City of West Africa, and we have to preserve it. If you want to make my job difficult, I will make your body feel the difficulty you’re causing me,” he warned.
In an interview with Joy FM on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Sam Pyne criticised his successor’s threat to use force against traders operating on pavements in the city’s central business area, calling the approach “undemocratic” and potentially counterproductive.
Although he acknowledged that addressing congestion and street trading in Kumasi is a complex task, he stressed that flogging non-compliant traders is not the solution.
“It’s a difficult task dealing with the people of Kumasi, which I must admit. But as for the approach — you see, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, like all other metropolitan municipalities, has by-laws. We have our by-laws that are fixed, and they deal with all offenses and infractions.
So, going ahead with this ‘democratic terrorism’ is not the way to go,” he said.
He cautioned that such a hardline stance might unnecessarily provoke public discontent and resistance.
Mr. Pyne emphasized the importance of long-term infrastructure development and targeted enforcement over the use of force. He pointed to initiatives his administration had undertaken to relocate traders and decongest the central business district, including scheduled market development projects.
“One key solution is the completion of the Central Market Phase Two. That facility, when finished, will include a massive terminal on the ground floor, which will take vehicles off the streets and significantly reduce congestion. Traders naturally follow the flow of passengers — once we remove the vehicles from the roadsides, the traders will follow suit.”
