“I’m Doing ‘Patapaa’ to Protect Kumasi” – KMA Mayor King Zuba Defends Decongestion Drive
Kumasi Mayor defends decongestion exercise, says force will be used only if needed
- Kumasi Mayor says decongestion exercise is already yielding positive results
- Two-week ultimatum to traders was a conditional warning, now rescinded
- King Zuba says he’ll use a tough approach only if necessary to protect the city
In a spirited and unapologetic defense of the ongoing decongestion exercise in Kumasi, the Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Hon. Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, popularly known as King Zuba, made it clear that while he may carry the label of being a “forcefeul small,” he has not deployed that hard-handed approach at the office—yet.
Speaking on the Ghana Sen Morning Show on Lawson TV, King Zuba described himself as a “local boy” and “street boy” who intimately understands the “cranus and onus” of Kumasi.
“I’m a typical Kumasi boy,” he emphasized, adding, “and that’s the challenge. I know how things work here, and I know what needs to be done.”
The mayor’s comments come amid increasing attention on the decongestion initiative in the city center, a move aimed at restoring order and protecting legitimate businesses from unfair competition and encroachment.
According to him, “The problem goes to those who have big shops, and they are suffering. I have the responsibility to protect those people.”
Though he’s drawn criticism from some quarters for what they perceive as an aggressive stance, King Zuba clarified that his approach has been measured and strategic.
“There are some things going on, and if you act, they say you are doing ‘patapaa’,” he said. “But this decongestion exercise is to protect those doing legitimate business.”
When asked about his statement giving a two-week ultimatum to traders operating along pavements within the central business district of Kumasi to vacate the area as a matter of urgency or risk facing sanctions—including being lashed—the mayor explained that the statement was conditional: “It was a conditional clause—if. But I have rescinded that statement.
So far, he said, the decongestion exercise has been “positive.
In spite of limited resources, King Zuba revealed that he is deploying only eight security officers for the entire operation, citing high costs as the reason he will not call in additional police or military support.
“We are managing with what we have. Getting more security personnel comes with a huge cost,” he explained.
He concluded the interview with a strong statement of intent: “I’m doing aggressive enforcement to protect Kumasi and restore Kumasi to its former glory.”
