Kumasi Goes Dead as Otumfuo Hits Town

KUMASI, the Ashanti Regional capital, could best be described as a ghost town on Monday as all boisterous business and social activities that the city was noted for were missing.

The strange quietness of the garden city came about because the occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, had hit town.

The Asantehene, wearing the consecrated ‘Batakari Kesee’, which is reported to be over 400 years old, was to parade the city in a palanquin as part of activities marking the funeral rites of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.

Even though Manhyia Palace, the official seat of the Asantehene, had announced that residents of the city could open their shops and do business, residents voluntarily decided to close their shops, to show their solidarity with the traditional authorities. In fact commercial and private vehicles were also not seen on any of the principal streets of the city.

The king and his entourage, numbering some thousands, started their journey from the Pampaso Stool House at Adum for about four miles.

They marched through the streets amidst cheers from onlookers. This caused a massive human traffic at areas such as Kejetia, Dr. Mensah and Ash Town.

Monday’s invasion of the city center was the fourth day of funeral activities for the late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II.

By: Afua Sarpong Amankwa/ thePublisher