Kwahu Easter in limbo as Ghana see 200% increase in coronavirus cases

The Ghana Health Service on Sunday, March 14, 2020, confirmed four new coronavirus cases in Ghana, a 200% increase of the first two cases reported on March 12, 2020, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Ghana to six.

Several public activities have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak and the latest to be affected are the annual Kwahu Easter Festivities.

In a letter from the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to the Kwahu Traditional Council sighted by Jetsanza.com, the CEO of GTA Akwasi Agyeman, is calling for a meeting with the Nananom and other stakeholders to decide the fate of this year’s Kwahu Easter celebration.

“This meeting is to enable us to confer with Nananom and all relevant stakeholders on possible measures to mitigate the effect of the pandemic on the Easter celebration and possibly the cancellation of all events.”, part of the letter read.

The meeting which is scheduled to take place on March 21, 2020 at the Kwahu Omanhene’s Palace, will also be attended by Kwahu South District Assembly DCE, Kwahu East District Assembly DCE, Kwahu West Municipal Assembly MCE, MP for Mpraeso, MP for Abetifi, Nkawkaw Municipal Police Commander, Mprase District Police Commander and district Officer of the National Ambulance Service.

Kwahu Easter: The History

In 2005, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Creative Arts under the leadership of the late Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, launched the Kwahu Paragliding Festival, scheduled to take place during the Easter period of every year.

That single decision will go down in our history as one of the most innovative tourism initiatives.

Since the launch in 2005, Kwahu has become the centre of the world where all attention is during Easter period with thousands of foreigners trooping into the country in a quest to head to the mountainous land and experience the excitement of the event, especially the paragliding. While many thought the festival would collapse or lose interest at a point as has become with every government initiative, Kwahu Easter has stood the test of time and is even getting bigger than never before.

Almost fifteen years after its launch, it has moved from just a paragliding event to a festival filled with varieties of activities, such as health walks, street jams, musical concerts and so much more. It is believed that over a million people visit Kwahu during the Easter festivities, one third of who are thought to be foreigners.

The festival keeps getting bigger each year as tourists from all walks of life make their way to Kwahu to have a good time. The benefit to the people of Kwahu cannot be overemphasized; every Easter is referred to as ‘Cocoa Season’ by traders and drivers who ply the trade on the Kwahu Ridge. There is a surge in business activities and these traders and drivers make returns like never before.

So whether it is to take a thrilling flight from the top of the 2,500 metre tall Odweanoma Mountain or dance all night in the noisy but ever thrilling Kwahu Easter street carnival, or just visit the many ancient and historical places in Kwahu, there is always something for you on the mountains.