A decongestion exercise at the Kejetia Market in Kumasi descended into chaos on Thursday following a violent clash between traders and task force personnel from the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).
The operation, launched by city authorities to restore order and remove sellers operating outside designated spaces, was met with stiff resistance.
According to JoyNews correspondent Emmanuel Bright Quaicoe, enforcement officers were unable to proceed as traders actively disrupted the exercise, leading to volatile scenes.
The Federation of Kumasi Traders has long warned that the market, currently hosting over 3,300 additional traders beyond its intended capacity, poses serious safety risks.
The group has described the facility as a potential “death trap,” citing structural defects.
While KMA officials insist the decongestion effort is essential for safety and accessibility, traders remain defiant, setting the stage for ongoing confrontations.
