Before dawn, the queues form at Kasoa’s lorry stations. Thousands of workers board trotros and buses heading east to Accra, hoping to beat the traffic on the Winneba road. Kasoa, technically in the Central Region, has become one of the largest dormitory towns for the capital and one of the fastest-growing places in Ghana.
From market town to city
Kasoa lies about 30 kilometres west of central Accra, just across the border between the Greater Accra and Central regions. It falls under the Awutu Senya East Municipal Assembly. Kasoa was once a small market town on the coastal highway. As land prices in Accra rose, people bought plots there to build homes. Its population grew rapidly from the 1990s onward.
Land and rents in Kasoa are much cheaper than in Accra. Families can build or rent larger homes for less, which attracts young workers, traders and families.
The commute, roads and the market
The cost is the commute. The road between Kasoa and Accra, passing through Weija and Mallam, is among the most congested in the country. A journey that should take 40 minutes can take two hours or more at peak times. Interchanges and road expansion projects, including works at Kasoa and Mallam, have aimed to ease congestion. Residents say relief has been partial.
Kasoa market is one of the largest in the area, attracting traders and buyers from surrounding towns. It is busy and crowded, especially on market days.
Services, safety and satellite towns
The town has grown faster than its services. Water supply, drainage, schools and health facilities have struggled to keep up with the population. Kasoa has occasionally made national news for crime. Police have increased their presence as the town has grown. Kasoa is part of a wider pattern of growth around Accra, along with towns such as Amasaman, Adenta and Dodowa, as the capital spreads beyond its official boundaries.
The future, schools and churches
Planners have discussed better public transport links, including bus rapid transit, to connect Kasoa and Accra. Without them, traffic will continue to shape life in the town. Kasoa now has many private schools and large churches, built to serve the young families who moved there. On Sunday mornings, church traffic adds to the congestion on the main road.
Kasoa offers what Accra cannot: land people can afford. Residents pay for it every morning in hours spent on the road east.
