The Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and a municipal security taskforce, has begun a decongestion exercise targeting unauthorised trading activities at the Central Business District (CBD) of Kasoa.

The operation, carried out in the early hours of Monday, seeks to dismantle makeshift stalls and remove traders operating on pedestrian walkways and tarmacked roads.

Officials say the exercise aims to restore order, enhance pedestrian movement, and improve vehicular traffic flow within the congested commercial hub.

During the operation, several unauthorised structures were torn down, prompting a group of affected traders to storm the residence of the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East,  Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor, clad in red attire to protest the action.

The demonstrators expressed frustration over the demolitions, accusing the authorities of insensitivity.

However, Seth Sabah Serwornoo-Banini, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), defended the exercise in an interview with Class News reporter Samuel Addo, stating that the Assembly had prior engagements and negotiations with leaders of the trader groups before initiating the decongestion.

“We did not act without notice,” the MCE stressed. “This is part of our mandate to ensure public safety and maintain order in our markets and streets. The continuous takeover of walkways and roads by traders is a risk to lives and a hindrance to smooth mobility in the city.”

Supporting the MCE’s remarks, Nash Nyandey, the Municipal NADMO Director, emphasised that the operation is not a one-time effort but part of a sustained initiative that includes public education and sensitisation.

He urged traders to comply voluntarily with the new directive and vacate the streets.

“This is not a nine-day wonder,” Nyandey noted. “We are committed to continuous enforcement, but we will also engage the traders to help them understand the risks involved in trading on the roads.”