By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News, Canada
Residents of Gbetsile, Apolonia and Kakasunanka in the Kpone Katamanso Municipality have embarked on a public protest over prolonged water shortages and deteriorating road conditions affecting their communities.
Dressed in red and black, demonstrators marched through principal streets carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs to demand urgent intervention from government authorities and utility providers.
Residents say the prolonged absence of potable water has pushed many households into severe hardship, forcing them to depend on expensive private water vendors.
“Now, a pipe drum of water is being sold to us for GHS200, which is too much. We cannot bear,” one resident lamented.
Another protester stressed the growing frustration among residents, saying, “Our only aim is to get water. We are suffering. Water is life, and we cannot continue to live like this.”
The demonstrators further criticised delays in repairing damaged pipelines and accused authorities of failing to respond swiftly despite months of complaints.
“We are not interested in technical explanations. It should not take engineers six months to fix a pipeline while people are suffering,” Mr Stephen Quarcoo stated.
Some residents also warned that continued neglect could affect future political support within the constituency.
“If the MP does not come to our rescue, he will lose his seat. This situation will affect the government itself. We are human beings and cannot continue to live without water. Even animals need water to survive,” another protester declared.
Beyond the water crisis, residents complained about dusty and damaged roads, which they say continue to disrupt transportation, business activity and movement within the area.
The protesters announced plans to present a petition to the Ghana Water Company Limited before engaging other government officials on long-term solutions.
Commentary | Boakye Stephen
The protest highlights a growing pattern across rapidly expanding urban communities in Ghana where population growth is outpacing basic infrastructure development. Access to water and road networks remains one of the most politically sensitive issues because it directly affects public health, livelihoods and social stability. The strong language used by residents reflects increasing frustration with delayed public service responses and could intensify political pressure on local leadership ahead of future elections.
