Trader sentenced to 20 Days for defying KMA fire safety rules

A district court in Kumasi has jailed a food vendor for 20 days after she repeatedly ignored a ban on the use of open flames at a local market, highlighting ongoing enforcement difficulties.

Kande Seidu, a trader at Alabar Market, received the sentence on Monday, March 16, 2026, from District Court Two at the Prempeh Assembly Hall.

The presiding judge, Her Worship Deborah Gyawa Donkor, handed down the custodial punishment after determining that Seidu had consistently defied directives issued by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA).

According to prosecutors, Seidu and her sister, Fati Seidu, had on several occasions breached safety rules despite multiple warnings and abatement notices from the KMA’s Environmental Health Unit.

The pair were first arraigned on January 15, 2026, for violating Sections 27 and 29 of the KMA Public Market By-Laws (2020), which ban open fire in markets due to the risk it poses to public safety.

At a hearing on February 23, Kande Seidu absconded before her case was called, while her sister stayed in court and pleaded guilty.

Fati Seidu was subsequently fined GH¢1,200, equivalent to 100 penalty units, after admitting the offence. A bench warrant was then issued for Kande Seidu’s arrest, leading to her eventual capture and sentencing.

Authorities say the decision serves as a warning to traders who continue to flout market safety regulations, especially those concerning fire hazards in busy commercial areas.