The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has issued a warning over the city’s waste management system, revealing that the Oti Landfill is approaching full capacity and could be forced to close within three months without urgent intervention.

The Mayor of Kumasi, Ofori Agyemang Boadi, also known as King Zuba, stated that the landfill is operating well beyond its intended limits, currently handling waste levels 2,000 to 3,000 per cent above its designed capacity.

To ease the immediate pressure, the KMA has restricted access to neighbouring districts, allowing only the Asokwa Municipality to use the site while other districts are required to identify alternative disposal solutions.

The assembly is seeking €6 million from the Ministry of Local Government to construct three new waste cells. As a medium-term measure, the KMA plans to prioritise funding for at least one cell, which would extend the landfill’s lifespan by two to three years.

Mechanical failures and adverse weather have compounded the crisis. All four heavy-duty machines at the site recently broke down but have since been repaired and returned to service. Recent heavy rains turned access roads into mud traps, leaving waste trucks stranded and causing refuse to accumulate across the metropolis.

Hon. Boadi rejected claims of negligence, noting that city crews worked overnight to clear access routes and ensure stranded vehicles could discharge their loads.

A key contributor to the current bottleneck is the temporary shutdown of the Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant Limited (KCRP), the nation’s largest waste management facility. The plant, capable of treating 3,000 tons of waste per day under optimal conditions, has been non-operational due to unpaid government arrears over four years. This financial strain led the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to cut power, halting a crucial part of the city’s waste management system.

The Mayor confirmed he is engaging government authorities to release funds to restore power to the compost plant, which, if operational, would provide critical support to the Oti Landfill.

Hon. Boadi apologised to residents for the challenges, citing a lack of funds for equipment replacement over the past three years as a key factor in the current strain on the city’s waste disposal system.