The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has intensified its campaign against poor sanitation, leading to the arrest and prosecution of 13 people for breaching environmental sanitation regulations.

The latest enforcement exercise forms part of the Assembly's revived sanitation operation, popularly known as "Samansaman," which targets unsanitary conditions in communities across the Ashanti regional capital.

Residents, businesses, churches and hospitality facilities in the Dichemso suburb were caught off guard as a joint task force made up of military personnel and KMA environmental health officers carried out inspections across the area.

The operation uncovered several sanitation breaches, including refuse dumped within residential compounds and choked drains filled with plastic waste and silt, obstructing the free flow of wastewater.

While some residents complied with directives to clean their surroundings immediately, others resisted the exercise, prompting further enforcement action by the task force.

Among those arrested was an administrator of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after officials cited poor sanitation around the church premises.

KMA's Public Relations Officer, Henrietta Afia Konadu Aboagye, said the administrator repeatedly ignored instructions to accompany the task force despite being informed of the sanitation violations.

According to her, officials initially allowed time for the administrator to contact her superiors, but after several unsuccessful attempts and continued refusal to cooperate, the team proceeded with the arrest to ensure compliance with the enforcement process.

Environmental Health Officer at the KMA, Kwaku Poku, said the renewed operation is aimed at restoring Kumasi's reputation as the "Garden City of Ghana" through strict enforcement of sanitation regulations.

He stressed that the exercise will not be a one-off operation but a sustained campaign to promote cleanliness and ensure residents maintain hygienic surroundings, warning that offenders will continue to face prosecution.