Kejetia Market Phase II work to restart in October, Kumasi officials say

Pinned summary · as of 07:06

Construction on the second phase of the Kejetia Market redevelopment in Kumasi is expected to restart in October 2026, according to officials who met stakeholders about the stalled project. The local government ministry and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly took part in the talks, which turned on how to finish the building and pay for it. Traders were also told not to hand money to anyone claiming to sell them a shop.

What we know

• Officials of the local government ministry and of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly met traders, contractors, consultants and other interested parties to discuss how to complete the second phase of the Kejetia redevelopment in Kumasi.
• Work at the site is expected to resume in October 2026. The Kumasi Mayor, Richard Ofori-Agyemang Boadi, said arrangements to bring contractors back were under way after talks that involved the Ministry of Finance.
• Officials and reports agree that a shortage of money is a major reason for the delay. The first phase was meant to earn revenue to help pay for later stages, but it has brought in only about GH₵89 million so far, which the Mayor said was not enough.
• The building contract is worth about €248 million and dates from 2018, with completion first planned within 48 months. About €171 million has reportedly been paid so far.
• The project consultant, Tony Yeboah, put physical construction at about 49%.
• The design includes a parking and transport terminal for about 600 vehicles, roughly 3,760 counter spaces and more than 6,000 lockable shops.
• The Mayor cautioned traders against paying individuals who promise to secure shops in the unfinished market, unless the payment has been officially authorised.
• The government and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly restated their intention to finish the project.
• Local Government Minister Mahama Ayariga visited and assessed both the Kejetia Phase II site and the Krofrom Market site in Kumasi.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Reports give different readings of overall progress. The Press Radio quoted the consultant at about 68%, and Opemsuo 104.7 also reported 68%, while Rainbow Radio Online spoke of roughly 70%. Kumasi Mail reported the government's earlier May estimate as 58.22%.
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  Accounts of how long work has been halted differ. Kumasi Mail said the project has been stalled since 2013, but Rainbow Radio Online said construction has stood still for more than three years and that work began over seven years ago.
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  The date of Mr Ayariga's inspection is unclear: Kumasi Mail placed it on 30 August, while Rainbow Radio Online described it as taking place at the weekend before its report.
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  Opemsuo 104.7 reported that a memorandum of understanding was signed between the government and the contractor, Contracta, and that Mr Ayariga said a GH₵38 million balance on the original contract had gone unused because the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme halted work. It also quoted the consultant, Tony Yeboah Asare, as saying construction could be completed in a year and a half. No other report carries these points.
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  Opemsuo 104.7 described the project's financing as a GH₵248 million facility, whereas Kumasi Mail and The Press Radio gave the contract value as €248 million. It also put the number of stalls at more than 7,000, while Kumasi Mail cited 10,528 trading points across four levels.
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  Kumasi Mail reported that about €32 million is still owed to the contractors and that the projected cost has risen to about €305.3 million; it did not attribute the second figure to a named person, and no other report confirms either number.
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  Kumasi Mail reported that the Mayor, described there as the assembly's chief executive, said no shops had been allocated yet and that the government would not borrow further but would rent out finished shops to help fund Phase III. It also said traders with unpaid premiums were told to settle them by 31 December 2026. These points have not been confirmed by other reports.
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  Rainbow Radio Online reported that the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly said GH₵100 million had been secured through the Social Investment Fund for the Krofrom Market, which needs an estimated GH₵179 million to be finished. No other report has confirmed this.

Why it matters for Ghana

Thousands of traders in Kumasi's central business district are waiting for the market to open, and many have already paid or been asked to pay premiums for shops. A finished Phase II is meant to ease crowding in the city centre and give traders and transport operators better facilities. The warning against paying middlemen also affects anyone hoping to secure a stall, since officials say no payment should be made unless it is officially authorised.