In a nighttime demonstration on April 17, 2024, hundreds of protesters flooded the streets of Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, to voice their frustration against ongoing power supply challenges.
The protest, known as the “dumsor vigil,” saw participants carrying placards expressing discontent with the erratic power supply and frequent blackouts, locally known as ‘dumsor.’
Videos and images circulated by local media outlets depicted a sizable crowd marching through the streets, some holding lanterns and candles to illuminate the nighttime protest.
Of particular note is the demonstration’s location in Kumasi, a stronghold of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), adding significance to the event.
“The protest dubbed ‘dumsor vigil’ is to express their displeasure and urge government to address the root causes of the power issues and take swift action,” captioned Accra-based Citi FM on social media.
Traders voiced concerns about the adverse impact of recent power cuts on their businesses, highlighting the tangible effects of the ongoing energy crisis.
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the power distributor, has faced mounting pressure to publish a load-shedding timetable in response to the public outcry.
However, ECG has attributed the outages to overloaded transformers, rejecting claims of implementing a load-shedding programme.
This stance was contradicted by the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), which asserted that ECG’s outages constituted a form of load shedding that had not been adequately communicated to the public.
In response, PURC imposed fines on ECG’s board members, underscoring the regulatory pushback against the power distributor’s handling of the crisis.