The Kumasi City Market – also referred to as Kejetia – is dubbed by traders as a ‘death trap’ and they are beseeching the government to take immediate action to prevent any disaster from happening.
The traders feel unsafe in the building, as they see increased and widening cracks in the building – something that they believe shows a serious lack of structural integrity.
The reasons why this is happening is due to poor management, inadequate maintenance, and an extended period of official neglect.
They feel that the issue has been compounded by overcrowding. Originally built for over 8,000 lockable booths and stores, the market has seen mushrooming levels of trade; thus, the market now operates beyond it’s capacity.
At a press conference held at the market on Tuesday, 31 March, the traders listed multiple concerns, including a lack of administrative expertise, political interference, a poor maintenance culture and ongoing electrical issues due to being billed through a bulk metering system.
They also conveyed concerns about a lack of adequate fire-fighting equipment and the fact that the facility has not yet been granted a fire certificate.
Additionally, merchants say that the reallocation of emergency access to tabletop vendors worsens congestion at the market and may hinder rescuers’ ability to assist in the case of a disaster.
Traders are demanding immediate action from the government and said they are trying to safeguard the livelihoods of the 20,000 workers at the market and halt any possible structural collapse of the building. They warned that if not addressed, this issue could create a national security risk.
“Since November 2021 there has been no fire certificate for this massive facility with regard to firefighting capabilities. The market has no insurance attached to it, so there was no compensation for the victims of the tragic March 2023 fire; nothing has been done to rectify these issues to date. No one is concerned,” he said.
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