We Increased the Salaries of Sanitation Workers to Boost Efficiency – KMA Mayor
The Mayor of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi, popularly known as King Zuba, says his administration has restructured the city’s sanitation workforce and significantly improved wages as part of efforts to enhance efficiency and address long-standing sanitation challenges in Kumasi.
Speaking in an interview on Opemsuo Radio’s Nkwantannanso with Kofi Boakye, the Mayor revealed that upon assuming office, he discovered that sanitary workers were poorly paid and the system overstretched.
“When I took over the sanitary workers in Kumasi, the first thing I realised was that their salaries were very low,” he said.
According to him, the number of sanitary workers stood at about 3,000, a situation he described as unsustainable given the Assembly’s limited resources. He explained that after streamlining the system, the workforce was reduced to 1,002 workers, with clear performance targets introduced.
“I decided to give them specific targets, you have to cover this particular distanceand I increased their salary from GHC350 to GHC800,” the Mayor disclosed.
King Zuba noted that beyond improving pay, accountability was central to the restructuring, stressing that governance must reflect innovation and measurable results.
“When we solve a problem and we are done, people must appreciate the difference in thought and approach through governance.”
The Mayor also touched on labour constraints confronting the Assembly, explaining that the withdrawal of personnel previously supplied by the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) had further strained sanitation operations.
“Previously, the Youth Employment Agency was providing us with 520 employees. Now, I don’t have them, and coupled with our limited resources, it means you have to be proactive in managing both your resources and your challenges,” he said.
Kumasi, he noted, generates approximately 2,000 tonnes of waste daily at an average cost of GHC83 per tonne, making sanitation one of the most resource-intensive responsibilities of the Assembly.
King Zuba identified sanitation and congestion as the two major challenges confronting the city, adding that his administration remains focused on pragmatic solutions despite financial constraints.
“The main issues for me in Kumasi are congestion and sanitation,” he emphasised.
He assured residents that the Assembly will continue to adopt innovative approaches to improve sanitation delivery while ensuring value for money and better working conditions for frontline workers.
