The Mayor of Kumasi, Honourable Richard Ofori Agyeman Boadi has emphasised that the long term success of the city’s sanitation drive would depend on sustained public support and responsible media engagement, saying the initiative seeks to improve public health through cleaner surroundings.
Discussing the future of the checks, Honourable Boadi explained that the Assembly’s objective extends beyond enforcing regulations. The Kumasi Mayor indicated that the campaign aims to encourage residents to embrace cleanliness as a shared civic responsibility capable of reducing disease and environmental hazards.
Accordingly, Honourable Boadi appealed to the media to support public education by promoting messages that encouraged behavioural change. The Mayor argued that positive engagement from residents and media organisations would strengthen the campaign and help preserve the gains achieved across the metropolis.
“Our intention is not to punish people. Our intention is for everyone to become conscious of the environment around us and keep it clean. Once the media and the people speak the samelanguage, I believe we will sustain this initiative and build a healthier city for all.”
Honourable Richard Ofori Agyeman Boadi
Furthermore, the Kumasi Mayor acknowledged that logistical limitations have become a reality for the Assembly. Honourable Boadi nevertheless assured residents that available resources would be deployed strategically to achieve the objectives of the sanitation programme.
Addressing the implementation strategy, Honourable Boadi disclosed that the exercise would gradually cover every part of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly. He explained that operations would be organised on an electoral area basis to allow sanitation officers to focus on one community at a time before moving to the next.
For the current phase, the Kumasi Mayor stated that officials have begun work in the Nhyiaeso Electoral Area within the Nhyiaeso Sub Metro. He added that early inspections have produced encouraging signs, giving the Assembly confidence that noticeable improvements would emerge before the team completed its assignment there.
Subsequently, Honourable Boadi urged residents to view environmental cleanliness as a collective duty that would benefit every household. He remarked that stronger public cooperation would enable the Assembly to build a cleaner and healthier city for present and future generations.
Enforcement Drive Targets Numerous Communities Across Kumasi
The Mayor of Kumasi, Honourable Richard Ofori Agyeman Boadi stated that the ongoing sanitation enforcement exercise has already begun producing positive results as residents increasingly comply with cleanliness regulations.
Speaking on the public response, Honourable Boadi explained that the Assembly spent an entire week informing residents through public address systems before officers entered the affected areas. As a result, many households prepared ahead of the inspections, leading to fewer offences on the first day of the operation.
The Kumasi Mayor noted that only 13 people were arrested during the initial exercise because residents responded positively to the advance awareness campaign. He added that the outcome demonstrated that public cooperation is essential to achieving cleaner neighbourhoods.
Turning to enforcement measures, Honourable Boadi explained that offenders would face prosecution under existing sanitation laws. He added that the courts would determine the appropriate penalties after charges were filed by the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Mayor outlined the next phase of the programme, revealing that the exercise would move from Nhyiaeso to Krofuom before extending to Bantama and later Asafo. Looking ahead, the Kumasi Mayor disclosed that the exercise would continue throughout his tenure, with one community selected every month for intensive inspections lasting one week. Afterwards, officers within each sub metro would conduct regular follow up visits to preserve the gains achieved.
In addition, he revealed that surprise inspections would also become part of the enforcement strategy. These unannounced visits, he explained, would encourage residents to sustain good sanitation practices long after the main exercise had ended.
Responding to critics who questioned the longevity of the initiative, Honourable Boadi invited the public to judge the programme through its results over time. He argued that visible improvements in public discipline already demonstrated that the campaign is moving in the intended direction.
“Everyone in Kumasi can see the change. Discipline is improving steadily and I will keep pushing until we reach our goal.”
Honourable Richard Ofori Agyeman Boadi
The Mayor further recounted earlier interventions undertaken shortly after assuming office, including action against illegal refuse dumping at major locations within the city. He identified the MTN Roundabout near the zoo, the Children’s Hospital Roundabout and others as places where accumulated waste was an eyesore.
Honourable Boadi said repeated public engagement failed to stop the practice until the Assembly enforced the law through prosecutions. Following court action, some offenders received prison sentences while others paid fines, producing significant improvements at the affected locations.
Building on these successes, the Assembly decided to expand enforcement into residential communities while combining inspections with continuous public education. He added that sustained enforcement, regular monitoring and community participation would strengthen efforts to transform Kumasi into a cleaner and more organised city.
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