About 800 traders at the Kasoa Old Market have been displaced after a demolition exercise by the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly to make way for a planned redevelopment project.
The Tuesday dawn, April 7, 2026 demolition mostly affected traders who operated from temporary sheds in the area.
The exercise, according to authorities at the Assembly, follows prior warnings to the traders. But the traders insist the Assembly failed to provide clear and definitive communication regarding the timing and extent of the demolition.
Meanwhile, many of the affected traders have rejected the Iron City Market provided by the Assembly as an alternative trading site, saying it is unsuitable for their operations.
The Assembly, however, insists the Iron City Market remains a viable option for relocation. Rahman Abdul Mohammed, an officer at the Assembly tells journalists the traders were adequately informed.
Also, the Assembly says they have put measures in place to prevent traffic congestion within the Kasoa Central Business District in the course of the exercise.
But some of the affected persons say the Assembly has not been fair to them.
“The NDC have not treated us fairly, especially Naa Koryoo. We heard she would demolish this area when she was campaigning. We asked her, but she denied it. She has disappointed us hugely. My capital is not even up to GH¢1,000. How can I raise GH¢100,000 to rent a stall? Our vote for her has brought no benefit to us,” Eric, a petty trader, lamented.
Akosua, another trader says they were only given a 24-hour notice, adding that they don’t like the Iron City Market for the relocation.
“They announced to us yesterday morning that they were going to demolish the structure. The Iron City Market is not an appropriate place for us. A child drowned in floods there recently. Authorities visited and agreed improvements were needed, but nothing has been done yet,” she said.
On his part, Samuel Fosu, a patron and member of the Kasoa Petty Traders Association, justified their rejection for the alternative market.
“The Iron City Market is already occupied. The people there say there’s no space for us. We’ve gone to the Ministry and even the NDC headquarters, but nobody intervened for us. Now they have come to demolish the structure. I have seven children, and this is where I earn my livelihood,” he stated.
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