Kumasi Mayor Declares War on Filth: "We're Going to Be Tougher in 2026"

Kumasi residents should brace themselves for a no-nonsense sanitation crackdown starting January as the city's Metropolitan Chief Executive vows to personally lead aggressive clean-up operations that will target even the metropolis's wealthiest neighborhoods.

Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) boss, has declared that 2026 will mark a turning point in his administration's battle against filth, promising stricter enforcement, heavier penalties, and zero tolerance for residents who violate sanitation laws. Speaking on JoyNews' The Pulse programme Tuesday, December 30, the Mayor made clear that Kumasi's reputation as Ghana's "Garden City" has deteriorated too far and that restoring it requires aggressive action.

"In 2026, I'm going to spend a lot more energy to make sure we have a much cleaner Kumasi than what we experienced in 2025," Agyemang declared, signaling that his administration considers sanitation a top priority for the coming year.

The Mayor's comments suggest that residents who thought 2025's enforcement was strict haven't seen anything yet. Agyemang made clear that his assembly will escalate its crackdown on activities deemed unacceptable.

"If we were tough on the street in 2025, we are going to be tougher in 2026. If we got rid of people who were at places that were unacceptable in 2025, what it means is that we are going to increase our activities in 2026," he warned.

The language signals a fundamental shift in approach—from pleading with residents to comply voluntarily, to enforcing compliance through sanctions and consequences. For Kumasi residents accustomed to lax sanitation enforcement, this represents a significant change that could affect daily routines, business operations, and neighborhood practices.

The planned sanitation offensive will launch in January with Asokwa—one of Kumasi's established residential areas—serving as the testing ground for the Mayor's tougher approach.

Agyemang announced he will personally lead the Asokwa operation, lending mayoral authority and visibility to the campaign. "Beginning in January, we are going to start in Asokwa. We are going to make sure that the whole of Asokwa is clean. I will lead that effort," he stated.

The Mayor issued a direct warning to Asokwa residents: once the area is cleaned up, maintaining sanitation becomes their responsibility—and failure will bring consequences.

"Once we clean Asokwa, and you have a house in Asokwa, if we come and we see that your area is not kept well, we will deal with you," he cautioned, leaving little ambiguity about the stakes involved.

The choice to begin with Asokwa reflects strategic thinking about where sanitation improvements will have maximum impact on Kumasi's image and investment attractiveness.

Agyemang expressed particular concern about current conditions in Asokwa, especially along major routes near the Stadium Hotel area that should represent Kumasi at its finest.

"These are supposed to be our affluent neighborhoods, and if you're going towards the stadium hotel in Asokwa before you get to Ceeta-kel, you see some pile up refuse on the left, and it's very bad, and so in January that's where we are going to begin our work," he explained.

The logic is clear: if even Kumasi's wealthier neighborhoods—areas with resources to maintain cleanliness—display visible filth along major thoroughfares, what message does that send about the entire metropolis?

After tackling Asokwa in January, the assembly will shift focus to Nhyiaeso in February before extending operations to other high-end residential areas, including Danyame.

The Mayor's vision is ambitious: transforming these neighborhoods into Kumasi equivalents of Accra's most prestigious areas.

"We must expect to have Cantonments, areas that look like Cantonment in Kumasi, areas that look like East Legon in Kumasi," Agyemang stated, referencing two of the capital city's most desirable residential zones known for tree-lined streets, well-maintained properties, and general cleanliness.

The comparison to Accra's elite neighborhoods is deliberate—Kumasi, as Ghana's second-largest city and the Ashanti Regional capital, shouldn't accept standards lower than those in comparable Accra areas.

Agyemang's campaign connects to Kumasi's historical identity as the "Garden City of Ghana and West Africa"—a reputation the metropolis enjoyed for decades due to its greenery, relatively clean environment, and pleasant urban character.

"Our City cannot be the old Kumasi – dirty and unkempt, so we will spend a lot more energy in 2026 towards having a much cleaner city," the Mayor declared, acknowledging that Kumasi has lost the environmental glory it once claimed.

For older Kumasi residents, the "Garden City" label evokes nostalgia for a cleaner, greener metropolis. Reclaiming that identity requires not just rhetoric but sustained action addressing waste management infrastructure, enforcement of sanitation bylaws, and cultural shifts in how residents treat public and private spaces.

Beyond civic pride and public health, Agyemang emphasized that sanitation directly affects Kumasi's economic competitiveness and ability to attract investment.

"Keeping affluent neighborhoods clean is critical to changing perceptions about Kumasi and attracting investment into the metropolis," he noted—recognizing that investors, tourists, and businesses consider environmental quality when deciding where to locate operations or visit.

A dirty city signals dysfunction, weak governance, and potential health risks—all factors that discourage investment. Conversely, a clean, well-maintained city projects competence, stability, and quality of life that attracts capital and talent.

For Kumasi to compete with other Ghanaian cities and regional centers across West Africa for investment, tourism, and economic activity, it must present an environment that meets international standards for urban cleanliness and livability.

While the Mayor's determination is commendable, transforming Kumasi's sanitation landscape faces significant obstacles:

Infrastructure gaps: Does Kumasi have adequate waste collection, transfer, and disposal infrastructure to handle the volume of refuse generated daily? Without proper systems, even aggressive enforcement won't solve underlying problems.

Behavioral change: Decades of poor sanitation practices won't change overnight. Many residents have grown accustomed to improper waste disposal, and shifting these behaviors requires sustained education alongside enforcement.

Resources: Will the KMA allocate sufficient budget, personnel, and equipment to sustain intensive clean-up operations beyond initial high-profile campaigns?

Political will: When enforcement affects politically connected individuals or businesses, will the assembly maintain its tough stance or succumb to pressure?

Equity concerns: While targeting affluent neighborhoods makes strategic sense, what about poor communities where sanitation challenges are often worse? Will they receive equal attention?

Based on Agyemang's comments, Kumasi residents should anticipate:

• Regular sanitation inspections of homes and businesses

• Swift action against violators of waste disposal regulations

• Increased presence of sanitation enforcement officers

• Potential fines or other penalties for non-compliance

• Higher visibility campaigns in targeted neighborhoods

• Personal mayoral involvement lends authority to enforcement efforts

The Mayor's promise to "deal with" residents whose areas aren't kept well suggests consequences ranging from fines to court action to public shaming—whatever tools the assembly deems necessary to compel compliance.

Richard Agyemang has thrown down the gauntlet: Kumasi will become cleaner in 2026, whether residents cooperate willingly or require enforcement pressure. The question now is whether the KMA can translate this bold rhetoric into sustained action that produces visible, lasting improvements.

For Kumasi residents, particularly those in Asokwa who will experience the campaign's first phase in January, the coming months will reveal whether their Mayor's tough talk translates into the transformative sanitation revolution Kumasi desperately needs—or becomes another unfulfilled promise in a long list of abandoned initiatives.

Either way, one thing is certain: the Mayor has publicly committed his administration's credibility to making Kumasi cleaner in 2026. Whether he succeeds or fails, the whole city—and indeed all of Ghana—will be watching.