The Homowo festival is one of Ghana’s most treasured cultural celebrations, steeped in the history and resilience of the Ga people. It is meant to be a time of thanksgiving, of remembrance of survival through famine and of joy as communities come together to sprinkle kpokpoi and usher in abundance. Yet, the recent clashes in Sowutuom and Teshie have cast a dark shadow over this proud tradition, turning what should be a festival of unity into scenes of chaos, bloodshed and fear.
In Sowutuom, three lives were lost and several others injured after a violent confrontation erupted between residents of Dwenewoho and local traditional leaders over the sprinkling of kpokpoi. What began as a cultural rite quickly escalated into a deadly exchange of gunfire, leaving families shattered and businesses shuttered.
Eyewitnesses spoke of bullets flying for nearly half an hour, residents fleeing for safety and shops forced to remain closed, out of fear that violence would flare up again. The deaths of community members, including prominent figures such as the Obrafor of Sowutuom and the son of the local chief, have left deep scars that will not be easily healed.
Similarly, in Teshie, three young men were confirmed dead and several more were injured, after rival factions clashed during the sprinkling of kpokpoi at the Chief’s Palace. Despite prior agreements by the Municipal Security Committee to prevent such confrontations by restricting rites to clan houses, defiance of the directive triggered a violent escalation. The hurling of stones and bottles quickly gave way to gunshots, plunging the community into terror. Intelligence reports now warn of possible reprisal attacks, prompting security agencies to consider halting all remaining public events tied to the festival.
This troubling pattern raises serious questions: how has a festival rooted in thanksgiving and harmony become synonymous with gunfire, injuries and death? Why are sacred traditions being hijacked by factional rivalries and power struggles? Instead of evoking pride and joy, Homowo in these communities now evokes panic and fear.
The essence of Homowo is unity. It is about communal resilience, the shared triumph over famine and the symbolic act of sprinkling kpokpoi to honour the ancestors and bless the land. When such a festival degenerates into a battleground, it betrays its own purpose. No deity, no tradition and no cultural obligation requires that blood be spilled in the name of celebrating festival.
Traditional leaders, chiefs and elders bear a heavy responsibility in this regard. Their inability or unwillingness to resolve internal disputes peacefully is fueling needless violence. Where leadership should promote dialogue, compromise and mutual respect, we are instead witnessing ego clashes and rigid posturing that expose ordinary citizens to harm. The youth, who should be the torchbearers of culture, are being drawn into senseless fights, wielding stones, bottles, and guns instead of embodying the spirit of the festival.
Equally, state institutions cannot remain passive observers. The police must act decisively not only in restoring calm after violence erupts but in preventing such chaos through intelligence gathering, timely intervention and strict enforcement of security directives. If injunctions are placed on events, they must be respected and enforced. Ghana cannot continue to normalise the presence of firearms in cultural celebrations.
It is time for a collective rethinking. The Homowo festival must be reclaimed for what it truly is: a celebration of survival and abundance, not a season of fear. The Ga leadership, with support from government and civil society, must initiate reforms that protect the sanctity of the festival and prioritize safety. Disputes over where and how kpokpoi is sprinkled should never cost human lives.
Culture should unite, not divide. Tradition should heal, not harm. And festivals should inspire joy, not funerals. If Homowo continues on this violent trajectory, it risks losing its meaning altogether. Ghana must not allow that to happen.
