Traders affected by fire at the Adum Blue Light market have welcomed a decision by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to allow them to rebuild the market.
A rampaging fire on March 21, 2025, torched the market, as wares and structures housing the traders were destroyed in the fire.
A decision by city authorities to lead the rebuilding efforts was met with strong resistance by the traders who insisting they want to self-fund the reconstruction.
Head of Physical Planning at KMA, Benjamin Agyenim Boateng, tells Joynews the assembly has reached an agreement to allow the traders to reconstruct the market pending an approval of technical drawings and specifications provided by authorities.
Hundreds of shops and stalls were razed in a fire at the Adum Blue Light market.
Wares running into thousands of cedis were lost to the fire, including mobile phones and accessories, jewelry, and clothing.
Though the area was first cordoned as the traders counted their loss in anticipation of rebuilding the market, some the affected traders resisted the local assembly’s attempt to rebuild the market for them.
But after months of engagements, Head of Physical Planning at KMA, Benjamin Agyenim Boateng, says the traders have been given the green light by city authorities to rebuild the market themselves.
According to him, while the traders are expected to self-fund the project, city authorities, on the other hand, will provide the technical support, including designs.
“I have engaged the traders several times, almost every week they are in my office. They want to go to site as quickly as possible. They are going to build it themselves.”
Mr. Agyenim Boateng tells Joynews in an interview the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly led by Mayor, Richard Ofori Boateng is prioritizing best building materials, especially those that are fire resistant to withstand future disasters.
“Blue Light engulfed with fire and we know traders want to go back and redevelop and have some form of livelihood.
When it happened, the King wasn’t around. After he came mayor went there to brief him and the King has given green light to some of the few things we can do. So currently what we are doing now, I think , of course site has been cleared; they are done with drains and then we are trying to see how best we can have fire resistant materials and fire prevention equipment as part of the design so that in the event of any fire the effect will be minimal,” mR. Agyenim Boateng said.
The traders have welcomed the new arrangement by the city authority.
Their leader, Joseph Bobie Ansah, is grateful to the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene, and City Mayor, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, for standing with the traders since day one of the fire incident.
He revealed the traders worked with the Regional Coordinating Council and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to construct the longest drainage at the Bluelight Market.
This, he says, will put all challenges associated with un-engineered drains experienced at the former market place in check.
According to Mr. Bobie Ansah, they are awaiting designs and selection of contractors by KMA before the start of reconstruction works.
The KMA is currently awaiting the selection of a contractor to start the reconstruction process.
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