The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) is set to intensify efforts to sanitise the city in 2026, with Metropolitan Chief Executive Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi declaring a renewed and tougher approach to dealing with filth across the metropolis.

Speaking on The Pulse programme on JoyNews on Tuesday, December 30, the Mayor said he will devote far more effort and resources to ensuring Kumasi becomes significantly cleaner than it was in 2025, as part of a broader agenda to restore the city’s lost glory as the Garden City of Ghana and West Africa.

“In 2026, I’m going to spend a lot more energy to make sure we have a much cleaner Kumasi than what we experienced in 2025,” he said.

Mr Agyemang stressed that residents should expect stricter enforcement of sanitation laws, warning that the Assembly will not relent in clamping down on activities deemed unacceptable.

“If we were tough on the street in 2025, we are going to be tougher in 2026. If we got rid of people who were at places that were unacceptable in 2025, what it means is that we are going to increase our activities in 2026.”

The planned clean-up campaign will begin in January 2026, with Asokwa earmarked as the first area to be tackled. The Mayor said he will personally lead the exercise to ensure results.

“Beginning in January, we are going to start in Asokwa. We are going to make sure that the whole of Asokwa is clean.

"I will lead that effort. And once we clean Asokwa, and you have a house in Asokwa, if we come and we see that your area is not kept well, we will deal with you.”

He expressed concern about the current state of sanitation in parts of Asokwa, particularly along major routes near the Stadium Hotel area.

“These are supposed to be our affluent neighbourhoods and if you’re going towards the stadium hotel in Asokwa before you get to Ceeta-kel, you see some pile up refuse on the left and it’s very bad and so in January that’s where we are going to begin our work.”

After the January exercise in Asokwa, the Assembly will shift focus to Nhyiaeso in February, before extending the clean-up drive to other high-end residential areas such as Danyame.

“And then we move from Asokwa, once we are done with Asokwa in January, in February we are going to move to Nhyiaeso. We must expect to have Cantonments, areas that look like Cantonment in Kumasi, areas that look like East Legon in Kumasi.”

The Mayor said Kumasi must no longer be associated with filth and neglect.

“Our City cannot be the old Kumasi – dirty and unkempt, so we will spend a lot more energy in 2026 towards having a much cleaner city.”

He added that keeping affluent neighbourhoods clean is critical to changing perceptions about Kumasi and attracting investment into the metropolis.