Kumasi is preparing for an historic moment as the Ashanti Kingdom readies to bid farewell to its Queen Mother, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, whose final funeral rites will be observed from Sunday, September 14 to Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The revered Asantehemaa, who passed away on August 7, 2025, at the age of 98, will be laid to rest with full traditional honours befitting her stature. She was widely admired for her wisdom, longevity, and strong influence on the social and cultural life of Asanteman.
Ban on Funerals, Shops to Close During Final Rites
To ensure the solemnity of the occasion, the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has declared a ban on all funerals across the Ashanti Region from September 2 to 18. On the night of the final burial rites (September 18), residents of Kumasi and nearby towns are expected to stay indoors, while all shops and markets will remain closed.
Programme of Events at Manhyia Palace
The Manhyia Palace has outlined a detailed programme for the rites:
- Monday, Sept. 15: Filing past (5 a.m.–5 p.m.) with attendance from churches, clergy, political parties, educational institutions, NGOs, telecoms, corporate bodies, associations, and the public.
- Tuesday, Sept. 16: Judiciary, Ghana Bar, security agencies, Armed Forces, Police, Fire Service, Prisons, Immigration, Customs, SOEs, public officials, financial institutions, and the public.
- Wednesday, Sept. 17: Ministers of State, diplomatic corps, parliamentarians, MMDCEs, non-Asante chiefs, mining companies, and the public.
- Thursday, Sept. 18: Final filing past (5 a.m.–11 a.m.), burial service at 3 p.m., with attendance from the Presidency, former presidents and vice presidents, diplomatic corps, and the public.
Throughout the three main days of filing past, the Asantehene will sit in state from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. to receive mourners.
The earlier one-week observance, held on August 14, drew national attention as former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, and former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia joined chiefs, elders, and citizens to honour the late Queen Mother. A similar turnout of dignitaries is expected for the final rites.
To assist with preparations, the Manhyia Palace has opened a donation account at Standard Chartered Bank Ghana, Harper Road Branch, under the name KTC-Nana Konadu Yiadom III Funeral.
Enstooled in 2017, Nana Konadu Yiadom III played a pivotal role in preserving the traditions of the Ashanti Kingdom, offering guidance to chiefs and promoting the welfare of women and children.
Her death marks the end of an era and has been described as a monumental loss to Asanteman and Ghana at large.
