Exposed: Kumasi Rattray Park Costs KMA $4.4M

It has emerged the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly spent a whopping 4.4 million Dollars to construct the city’s modern amusement center, the Rattray Park.

The Rattray Park is named after Captain Rattray, a Scottish who was the Assistant Colonial Secretary in the Gold Coast and clerk to the Legislative Assembly of Accra in 1919.

He was a special commissioner and the colonial government anthropologist in Ashanti in 1920, who did a lot of research work on the Ashanti Kingdom and the people of the Gold Coast in a bid to help the government understand the people.

Captain Rattray is believed to be the first man to fly an aircraft (glider) to West Africa, and crash-landed at the site where the ultramodern recreational centre stands.

The Rattray Park, Kumasi City which was commissioned on June 1, 2015 by President John Dramani Mahama with the support of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has become the preferred choice for outdoor relaxation for many residents.

Believed to be the biggest and most beautiful amusement park in West Africa, it comes with an artificial lake and a restaurant.

But project cost remains unknown until now with some assembly members agitating over City Mayor’s refusal to furnish them with how much the assembly has spent on it.

K.M.A Chief Executive, Kojo Bonsu, has revealed the project cost the assembly a whopping 4.4 million US Dollars.

He promised to make public details of the cost in due course after delay caused by unavoidable factors.

Mr. Kojo Bonsu who made the revelations on Nhyira Fm’s ‘Kuro yi mu Nsem’ program Monday is however happy at the gains made so far with revenue realized from the project.

He says the facility is generating some revenue to support the Assemblies operations, touting it as one of the assembly’s success.

According to Mayor Bonsu, the assembly is able to make at least 17,000 cedis on some weekends from the park.

Meanwhile, the Assembly has also commenced the renovation of Prempeh Assembly Hall and walling of the Komfo Anokye sword site on the premises of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

He added that the Assembly is embarking on these projects with Internally Generated Funds and support from the World Bank’s Urban Development Grant In another development, Mr. Bonsu has assured traders in the central market and various satellite markets the assembly will ensure these projects are completed in time.