632 Traders Still on Roadsides — Kejetia Petty Traders Cry for Help at 10th Anniversary Memorial

The Kejetia Petty Traders Association has held a solemn memorial service to mark its 10th anniversary, using the occasion to honour the memories of over 100 departed members while drawing national attention to the enduring struggles of its current membership.

The emotionally charged ceremony, held within the Kejetia Market enclave in Kumasi, saw scores of petty traders gather in unity and grief to remember their fallen colleagues — many of whom, according to the association’s leadership, passed away due to the harsh and unsafe conditions under which they worked.

Chairman of the Association, Mr. Emmanuel Kwarteng, speaking to the media after the event, revealed that of the Association’s 793 active members, only 160 have secured shops within the newly redeveloped Kejetia Market. The remaining 632 traders, he said, continue to operate in makeshift spaces — along roadsides, under metallic sheds, and in open areas vulnerable to sun, rain, and accidents.

“These are hardworking Ghanaians who have, for years, paid their daily market tickets to the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA),” he stressed. “Each trader pays GH¢3 daily. We’ve contributed significantly to the city’s economy, but our needs continue to be ignored.”

Mr. Kwarteng described the conditions as not only undignified but life-threatening. He disclosed that over 100 members of the Association have died within the past ten years, attributing many of these deaths to the psychological stress, physical toll, and environmental hazards associated with roadside trading.

“Our members are selling under the sun, in the rain, next to moving vehicles. Some have been knocked down. Others are constantly ill. It is heartbreaking that people are dying simply because they don’t have a decent place to work,” he lamented.

As part of their anniversary appeal, the traders are calling on government, particularly former President John Dramani Mahama, Ashanti Regional Minister Dr. Frank Amoakohene, and Kumasi Mayor Hon. Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, to prioritize their inclusion in the Kejetia Redevelopment Phase Two Project.

“We are not asking for charity. We are asking for justice. We are part of this market and this city. The Phase Two project must cater for those of us who have been left out for too long,” Mr. Kwarteng pleaded.

During the memorial, several names of deceased members were read out in a moving tribute, followed by a moment of silence and intercessory prayers for the welfare and protection of all traders still facing adversity.

Some members, in interviews with the media, echoed the chairman’s sentiments, making passionate appeals to city and regional authorities to ensure fair allocation of shops under the ongoing redevelopment plan.

The Kejetia Petty Traders Association has vowed to continue its advocacy until all its members are provided with safe, permanent trading spaces. As they marked a decade of existence, their call was clear: recognition, respect, and responsibility from the authorities they have long supported.