Back to Latest Briefings
July 21, 2026
AI-Enhanced
Kumasi traders to hit the streets over abandoned Central Market Phase II
Money
Policy
Growth
Key Points
- A coalition of trade unions and market associations in Ghana's Ashanti Region plans a peaceful demonstration over delays in completing the Kumasi Central Market Phase II project.
- Traders report severe economic hardship due to the project's stalled status and inadequate conditions at temporary operating locations.
- The coalition accuses the government of failing to honor assurances regarding the resumption of construction and extending years of uncertainty for displaced businesses.
- Key demands include the immediate resumption of construction, dedicated use of traders' premium payments for Phase II, and transferring Phase I management to a professional company.
- The group warns of potential occupation of unfinished market spaces and announced that details of the large protest will follow.
Why This Matters
This issue highlights critical challenges in urban development and government accountability in Ghana, directly impacting the livelihoods of thousands of traders and the economic vitality of Kumasi, a major commercial hub. Prolonged delays in such a significant infrastructure project can erode public trust, lead to social unrest, and hinder local economic growth, affecting the broader national economy.
Read Full Article
View original sourceRelated Articles
July 21, 2026
I didn’t abandon my client; I travelled for my daughter’s graduation – Atta Akyea
- Samuel Atta Akyea, lead counsel for NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman Chairman Wontumi, explained his absence during his client's jailing.
- His absence was primarily due to attending his daughter's graduation in the United Kingdom.
- He also cited legal considerations, expecting the High Court to refer constitutional issues raised by the defence to the Supreme Court.
- Atta Akyea believed that such a referral would have made his presence unnecessary at the time of judgment.
- He denied abandoning his client and confirmed plans to appeal the High Court's decision, citing constitutional and procedural errors.
July 21, 2026
Legal battle looms in Ghana as 20-year mining conviction for Wontumi sparks constitutional debate
- Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition NPP, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for illegal mining ('galamsey').
- The opposition condemns the verdict as a political miscarriage of justice, citing procedural irregularities, including the absence of lead defence counsel during the verdict delivery, which they argue violated constitutional rights.
- The Minority Caucus challenges the judgment, questioning the court's refusal to refer interpretative questions regarding the Minerals and Mining Act to the Supreme Court.
- NPP leadership alleges selective prosecution and institutionalised bias, claiming the government weaponizes the judiciary against opponents while neglecting similar allegations against its own members.
- The case is seen as a high-stakes test of judicial independence and the impartial application of law in Ghana, with the defence planning an appeal and the NPP designating Antwi-Boasiako a "political prisoner."
July 21, 2026
Ipswich Town sign Abdul Fatawu from Leicester City
- Ipswich Town has announced the signing of Ghanaian winger Abdul Fatawu from Leicester City.
- The 22-year-old Fatawu joins for an undisclosed fee, signing a five-year contract until summer 2031.
- He has earned 32 caps for Ghana, scoring three goals, and featured in all four of Ghana's games at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
- Fatawu has prior experience in the Champions League with Sporting and played in the Premier League with Leicester, where he scored nine goals in 44 appearances during 2025/26.
- He played a pivotal role in Leicester's 2023/24 Championship win and promotion, earning Young Player of the Year, and will now join Ipswich's Spanish training camp.