More than 400 slum dwellers, predominantly women and children, have been displaced following a devastating fire that swept through Baba Ayoyo, a well-known slum in Ahodwo within the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly.
The blaze, which ignited around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, destroyed over 100 makeshift structures, leaving many residents stranded and without shelter. Victims, caught off guard by the fire, were forced to seek temporary refuge in nearby churches and homes.
Parents, particularly mothers with multiple children, appeared devastated, overwhelmed by the uncertainty of where their next shelter or meal would come from.
“I stay here with my grandmother, and she is old. We plead with you to help us. We slept in someone’s veranda last night. All our things are burnt; we couldn’t take anything,” one distressed woman shared.
Many of the affected families have called on the government agencies, NGOs, and charitable individuals to assist them with food, clothing, and temporary shelter. Some expressed faint hope about starting afresh, though they acknowledged they cannot do it alone.
Assembly Member for the Ridge Nhyiaeso electoral area, Abraham Boadi, said he is yet to brief the Kumasi Mayor but disclosed that the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) is expected to meet with victims on Friday, July 11.
“We have planned that tomorrow, around 4 o’clock, NADMO and national security will be here to assess the place and evaluate the property lost.
“The challenge now is that the number of displaced persons is too large, so we can’t find shelter for them all. We’ve encouraged them to speak to friends and family while we wait on NADMO,” he said.
