From dishwashing in Germany to vying for flagbearership – The story of Ken Agyapong

Most Ghanaians know Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, as a no-nonsense politician who even criticizes his own political party without fear or favour. His ability to rise beyond political affiliations to speak truth to power has won him a lot of admiration among many Ghanaians.

Aside from his vociferous nature, Kennedy Agyapong is also known for being very generous. He is loved by his constituents for going out of his way to bring the needed development to their communities. Agyapong is said to have on a number of occasions sponsored many infrastructural, education and developmental projects with his private funds.

If asked what his source of wealth is, Ken Agyapong is certain to say that his worth is from the many businesses he owns. But before all these businesses, Agyapong made his first $ 1 million in the US through the amnesty program he worked on with his boss Lawyer Kwadwo Afram Asiedu and the lottery business he chanced on.

Speaking in an interview on Citi TV, the MP said, “in 1989, Ronald Reagan [the then president of the US] had introduced an amnesty program so I was fortunate to work with a lawyer. He is called Kwadwo Afram Asiedu. He recruited me and I started working with him. That is the cocaine money. That is where I made the money.

He added that he also made a lot of money helping Ghanaians who had won the American lottery to process their applications.

“I bought the applications for $48,000, that’s about 96 applications and brought it to Ghana. That is another ‘cocaine’. At that time, I was charging $5,000 each. And in 1996, September 30, that was the last day of the US lotter. After that program, I checked my account, what I have saved and I had $1,145,000. I felt so good,” he said.

Kennedy Agyapong’s first travel abroad

Before his stints in America, Kennedy’s first travel abroad was to Germany in 1894. In Germany, the legislator worked in a restaurant, washing dishes for 18 months.

Describing his ordeal in another interview on Peace FM, which he said he will never forget, Agyapong said in Twi, “to this day, if I should soak my hand in water and dry it up without smearing pomade, you would notice how whitish and dry the back of my palm looks like. The heat from the restaurant damaged the cells behind my palm. I worked from 5 pm to 5 am as a dishwasher [doing dishwashing] and after that spent two hours sweeping and cleaning.”

He added that in Germany he only slept for 4 hours and was forced by the woman he was staying with to clean the entire house, even though he was very tired.

He further stated that he was not happy about the condition in Germany which forced him to move to the US. In the US before his breakthrough, Agyapong worked several hours in restaurants and fuel stations. He even at some point worked for 24 hours a day during weekends.

Today, Kennedy Agyapong is of the richest people in Ghana and he owns a number of companies including Oman F.M, Ash F.M, Net 2 TV, Super Care Company Limited (Air Conditioners Dealer), Mina D’oro Ventures, M/S Imperial World Business Limited and Gold Coin Communication.

Current happenings in Ghana and what Ken sees as the inability of the current leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to bring improvement to the lives of Ghanaians have forced him from his usual role of funding the party to contesting to be its flagbearer in the next presidential elections.

Already, the MP has made a number of promises to Ghanaians including one that he will not take remunerations when he becomes president. Election observers, including Pollster Ben Ephson, have said that the NPP has a greater chance of winning the 2024 election should Agyapong be on its ticket.

Early life and Education

He was born on June 16, 1960, to Francis Ohene Kofi Agyapong one of three prominent Ghanaian judges who was abducted and murdered during the early years of Ghana’s Provisional National Defence Council. (PNDC), and Mrs. Mary Nsiah at Assin Dompim in the Central Region of Ghana.

He attended the Mfantsipim School in Cape Coast and obtained a BSc Degree in Civil Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi.

Kennedy Agyapong for a long period of time hosted sports Programmes on Ghana’s State Television Station owned by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. Agyapong worked for a long time with the Ghana Highway Authority. He also owns a civil engineering firm, Constro Consult Limited.

Kennedy Agyapong is married to Lawrencia Agyapong and has three children but aside from this relationship, he has 19 other children with other women.