Physician and political activist Dr Kwabena Arthur Kennedy has called for sweeping reforms in Ghana’s security services, warning that political interference continues to undermine professionalism and public trust.
His remarks follow violent scenes during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun that reignited national concerns over election-related security failures.
Speaking on JoyNews’ AM Show, Dr Kennedy stressed the urgent need to professionalise the security services and insulate them from partisan politics.
“The security services have their finger to the wind, looking at where the political winds are blowing,” he said. “So, like all of us, they saw the results in 2024, they knew who was coming into power, and all of a sudden they started acting in ways that will in effect further their ambitions.”
A History of Politicisation
Dr Kennedy lamented the longstanding issue of political interference in security institutions, especially during changes in government.
“Whenever there are changes in the security services leadership when the government changes, and we tell the security forces to do their work professionally, they don’t believe us,” he explained. “We need to insulate the security services from political changes and politicians.”
He warned that unless reforms are implemented, Ghana risks repeating cycles of violence in future elections.
“If the security forces cannot be professionalised, Atiwa will rehearse what happened; future by-elections will rehearse what happened. It is a disgrace that in 2020, 8 or so of our fellow citizens died, and nobody was arrested. It is a disgrace that in 2024, people died. We need to condemn that and call the security services to book,” he stated.
Lack of Accountability
Dr Kennedy criticised the absence of accountability following the Ablekuma North rerun violence. “In most other jurisdictions, the head of the Police would be fired for what happened in Ablekuma North, but in Ghana, nothing will happen; that’s our problem,” he said.
He further questioned the culture of impunity within the police service. “There ought to be accountability. The same way, there was an IGP when 8 Ghanaians died during elections, and it took a new president to order investigations—that is not on.”
Root of the Problem
Dr Kennedy tied his concerns back to the origins of the Ablekuma North rerun.
“There was this new IGP who couldn’t provide security for collation, which is why we are voting again. And during the voting, we see these things. So where is the accountability for the police?” he asked.
“There ought to be some accountability, and that accountability will come from the government.”
His remarks add to growing calls from civil society and political observers for comprehensive electoral security reforms ahead of the 2024 general elections.