The Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly has demolished several commercial shops and production structures at the Kasoa New Market, sparking anger and panic among traders who say their livelihoods have been destroyed.
The demolition exercise, carried out on Saturday, May 23, 2026, involved the use of heavy earthmoving equipment to pull down informal factory structures, including popular local corn and cassava processing mills.
According to municipal authorities, the exercise was undertaken to pave the way for the immediate construction of a proposed modern 24-hour Economy Market Centre.
However, the operation has drawn strong criticism from affected traders, many of whom accused the assembly of acting in bad faith.
The traders claimed the demolition was conducted despite the existence of an active Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between their leadership and the Municipal Assembly.
Several affected business owners said the sudden exercise has disrupted their operations and left them uncertain about their future, with no formal transition plan or clear resolution provided regarding their investments.
Although the traders indicated that they support the government’s initiative to modernise local commerce, they expressed frustration over what they described as a lack of proper consultation and disregard for their concerns.
Some traders told the media they financed the construction of their shops through personal loans and have not received assurances regarding compensation or relocation.
“We took loans to put up these structures, but now they want to demolish them without compensation or even giving us an alternative place to trade,” one trader said.
Defending the operation, the Municipal Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation, Mr. Nash Nyandey, stated that the demolition exercise was lawful and necessary.
