The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has explained why new trading structures have been erected around the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, days after it demolished makeshift stalls and containers as part of a decongestion exercise.

The development has sparked public debate, with residents and traders questioning the purpose of the demolition after fresh structures quickly appeared at the same location.

Some have raised concerns about why the Assembly cleared the area only for new trading units to be introduced shortly afterwards.

However, the KMA says the new structures are part of a planned redevelopment initiative aimed at creating a more organised and aesthetically appealing trading environment around the stadium.

The Assembly’s Public Relations Officer, Henrietta Afia Aboagye, explained that the containers are not being supplied by the KMA but by a private developer whose proposal was approved after the Assembly assessed the design and found it suitable for the area.

"The containers are not being provided by the KMA. They are being designed and provided by a private individual. We saw the design and thought it was suitable, so we advised the traders to engage with him," she told Citi News.

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According to the Assembly, the new trading units, estimated to cost about GH¢60,000 each, are expected to replace the informal stalls that previously occupied the area and provide traders with more structured facilities.

The KMA said the redevelopment forms part of broader efforts to improve the appearance, organisation and management of commercial activities around the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

The earlier demolition exercise was carried out as part of the Assembly’s efforts to decongest, sanitise and reorganise the stadium’s surroundings, with authorities citing public safety, traffic congestion and encroachment on public spaces as reasons for the operation.

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