The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has stepped into efforts to address Kumasi’s growing waste management challenges as city authorities warn of an impending sanitation crisis driven by rising waste volumes and strained infrastructure.

The Asantehene facilitated discussions between the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and the Canadian Embassy on Wednesday (20 May), aimed at exploring long-term solutions, including waste-to-energy technologies, officials said.

Metropolitan Chief Executive Richard Ofori-Agyeman Boadi during a sessional address on Monday (25 May) the intervention helped open new avenues for technical and investment partnerships to tackle the city’s mounting sanitation burden.

“Kumasi is facing a structural waste management challenge that requires both urgent engineering solutions and long-term innovation,” Boadi said in a sessional address.

He said the city generates about 3,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, far above the effective capacity of existing disposal and recycling infrastructure.

The Oti Landfill, originally designed for 1,500 tonnes per day, is now under severe pressure, while operational challenges at the Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant (KCARP) have worsened waste accumulation, officials said.

Boadi said the situation had reached a point where immediate expansion of landfill infrastructure was necessary to avoid service disruption.

“We are at a critical juncture. Without rapid intervention, the city risks a breakdown in waste collection and disposal services with serious public health implications,” he said.

He said two new engineered landfill cells were urgently required at the Oti site as a short-term stabilisation measure.

The mayor also said he had engaged private operator JSO Waste Ltd on remedial works to improve access and efficiency at the landfill, including efforts to reduce truck turnaround times.

Following the Otumfuo-facilitated engagement, a delegation led by Canada-based Portage Energy Group visited Kumasi to assess the feasibility of converting waste into energy.

The KMA said the discussions formed part of broader efforts to shift from landfill dependence to more sustainable waste treatment systems.

Authorities also said ongoing sanitation reforms, including intensified street sweeping and enforcement in the central business district, were part of efforts to improve urban cleanliness.

Officials warned that without sustained investment and behavioural change, Kumasi’s waste challenge could escalate into a full-scale environmental emergency.