The Role of Manhyia Palace in Traditional Land Resource Conflict Management in Kumasi, Ghana

This paper explores the role of Manhyia Palace, a traditional political office of theAsantehene (King of Asante Kingdom) in traditional land conflict management in Kumasi.Land conflicts remain a major hindrance to land use and tenure security in most parts ofGhana. Sometimes, the institutions governing land use and management are crucial to the occurrence and adjudication of these disputes. Consequently, statistics at the Accra High Court Registry shows that, land litigation ranks first in the number of cases pending with about 60,000 cases being registered in the superior courts. Using secondary data sources, including journals, articles, books, internet publications etc. the study reveals that, the Manhyia Palace, headed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has resolved as much as80 percent of the traditional land conflicts within the Asante Kingdom via history, the ‘great oath swearing’, assistance from professional sub-Chiefs and the ‘Manhyia Powers’-the final supremo. Hence, the study recommends the emulation by traditional political institutions within and outside Ghana battling land conflicts, the successes of the Manhyia Palace in traditional land management and conflict resolution.