In the heart of Accra, on the historic Ring Road where a great deal of Ghana’s political story was written, Ing Kwabena Agyei Agyepong (KAA) is set to unveil his national campaign office, a magnificent edifice symbolizing not just a political ambition but the return of a man whose life epitomizes Service, Sacrifice, and Selflessness. These are not mere words on a campaign poster; they are the lived reality of a man who has carried the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on his back through some of its toughest battles.
Today, as the NPP faces its most daunting test in decades; internal cracks, growing public disaffection, and the need for a unifier to rally the base, KAA stands as the most charismatic, visionary, and selfless candidate ready to rebuild the Party and reconnect it with its soul.
KAA’s life story is not the tale of a pampered political aristocrat. The story of his childhood was marked by tragedy yet shaped by Resilience. It is the story of resilience carved through pain. One of his favorite scriptures is Job 23:10 which says; “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Here is KAA, standing strong with deep insight and wisdom, willingly yielding to the call to fix a broken party just to deliver prosperity for all Ghanaians through a leadership that so empathizes with every heartbeat of the Ghanaian. In 1982, tragedy struck when his father, the distinguished High Court Judge Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, was abducted and brutally murdered along with three others in the infamous June 30 killings. For a young man still in university, that was enough to break the spirit of anyone.
But not KAA. He mourned, indeed, but was never left broken in perpetuity. He went back to his civil engineering studies at the University of Science and Technology (UST) with renewed grit, determined to live up to his father’s legacy of service to Ghana.
It is interesting to note he took consolation as a Sports broadcaster who Learned Leadership in the trenches. All who know and have followed KAA well, understand that aside his journeying in diplomatic circles, his love for sports, particularly Asante Kotoko, Liverpool, and boxing, is not some mere entertainment; it has been his training ground for leadership. As Chairman of Kotoko Supporters Union (Circle 48, UST), KAA learned how to mobilize people, raise funds, and unite factions under one goal: victory for Kotoko by all means!
He fondly recalls mobilizing supporters to man the gates during African Cup matches in 1982 where he mobilized his colleague students to man the gates at the Kumasi Sports Stadium thereby increasing match revenue for his beloved Asante Kotoko. That experience shaped his appreciation for grassroots work; you cannot lead people if you have not stood with them under the scorching sun, fighting for something bigger than yourself.
And who can forget the humor in his Liverpool obsession? Even during his Contract Management courses in school, he scribbled Liverpool’s legendary 1986 Double-Winning Team in his notebook, a gesture that served proof that passion and duty can co-exist. A very down to earth lover of the partying night life at UST, he also organized boxing nights to revive an old Mfantsipim tradition. These anecdotes may sound lighthearted, but they reveal a man who knows how to bring people together through shared love and excitement; a unifying trait the NPP desperately needs.
Part II:
In the Trenches and in the Strongroom – The Living Pillar of the NPP’s Legacy
KAA’s political baptism of fire came early. He positioned himself as a courageous voice under JJ Rawlings! As a young sports journalist and pundit at GBC, he took bold stands against the Rawlings regime, subtly but firmly campaigning for democratic change at a time when many feared even whispering NPP slogans.
Imagine a young man still grieving his father, a victim of political brutality, yet refusing to be silenced! That courage did not just make him a respected broadcaster; it cemented his reputation as a man who values truth over convenience.
Yet another remarkable addition to his rich experience is the fact that KAA devoted himself as a young Party activist who helped to build the NPP from the scratch. When the NPP was formed in 1992, he was not a distant supporter; he was in the trenches. He joined the Young Executives Forum, YEF, contributing cash, strategy, and mobilization of various resources. He was part of the group that helped finance the first NPP party office in Kokomlemle, Accra. In 1994 he was among the first to represent the NPP on the newly created Inter Party Advisory Committee IPAC of the EC. In 1996 KAA served as a member of the National Campaign Committee under the Chairmanship of Alhaji Issaka Inusah. In 1998, he played a leading role in Akufo-Addo’s presidential primaries campaign, and by 2000, he was in the Strongroom of the EC, safeguarding J. A. Kufuor’s votes and had the singular honor of putting in the phone call from the EC strongroom to Candidate JA Kufuor’s west airport residence to break the news of his victory.
His commitment was honored when President Kufuor appointed him Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman in 2001, a role he executed with tact and excellence, earning Ghana so much respect on the international stage. From the White House to the African Union, from the G8 Summits in Savannah, Georgia USA and Gleneagles, Scotland to key diplomatic missions, KAA was the young disciplined, articulate face of Ghana to the world. His calm yet firm demeanor made him stand out as a professional among political communicators.
The General Secretary Who Paid the Price for Principle
In 2014, NPP delegates massively elected KAA as General Secretary. His election was seen as a return of principled, organizational leadership to the Party. But internal shenanigans cut short his tenure; in Dec 2015, he was suspended indefinitely.
Yet here is where KAA’s character shines brightest; he did not abandon the NPP. Despite this setback KAA organized financial resources to support over 100 distressed constituencies. When the party needed him most to win back disaffected party faithful KAA returned in 2020, taking a leave from his role as Executive Director of the Ghana Institution of Engineering at the request of President Akufo-Addo to help win re-election.
How many politicians would set aside personal grievances for the greater good of their party? That is KAA, service before self.
Part III:
The Unifier NPP Needs Engineering a Return to Values and Victory
The NPP stands at a dangerous crossroads. The bitter rivalry between the front runners has deepened factional lines, with months of sensationalism, attacks, and counterattacks bleeding the Party’s unity. Whoever emerges will have to carry the scars of that adversarial contest into 2028, making genuine reconciliation nearly impossible. Something that contributed chiefly to the party’s loss in the 2024 elections. The Party simply cannot sacrifice its unity ahead of a crucial election for the convenience of choosing candidates whose very campaigns have fueled the divisions it faces.
KAA offers the most credible and viable alternative. He has worked with both Prof Adu Boahen, President Kufuor and President Akufo-Addo, earning trust across the Party’s traditional and newer power blocs. His calm temperament, credibility, and clean record position him as perhaps the only candidate who can reconcile bruised factions, rally disillusioned supporters, and rebuild the Party into a winning force for 2028.
Many old party faithfuls, particularly in the typical party strongholds, feel alienated by a leadership style they perceive as excluding the Party’s founding roots. KAA is uniquely positioned to heal these wounds. Being the son of a martyred High Court Judge from the Ashanti Region, KAA has always been proud of his heritage. His name resonates with Asante patriots who feel the Party has drifted from its traditional roots.
In addition, KAA has a rare “All-Nation Appeal.” From his Mfantsipim days to his work in government, his networks cut across regions. He is not a tribal politician; his friendships and influence span the North, Volta, and the entire Akan belt.
Furthermore, if there is any amongst the leading candidates with superior institutional memory of the NPP, then it is KAA. Few people alive know and have lived the NPP’s history, struggles, and original ideals as deeply as KAA. He was there at its birth, nurtured it in its infancy, defended it in its youth, and still stands ready to rebuild it in its current state of despair.
It is evident that the NPP faces a difficult position. Hence delegates must ask themselves; who can restore the Party’s soul, win back disillusioned supporters, and unify a divided base? The answer is clear at this point. KAA has served the NPP better than any of the current aspirants, without scandal, without rowdyism, and without arrogance. His life has been a testament to service, sacrifice, and selflessness.
For a developing country like Ghana, we can, in KAA, expect no empty populism. His policy proposals are built on decades of technical expertise, public service, and a vision for decent living for every Ghanaian. Accounting his journey in this life so far, it is clear he is not in this race to become some celebrity. He has been in the limelight even in the prominent history points of our country, yet he kept his dignity intact with enviable modesty. He is here now because the NPP needs to return to its values.
Truth is, if the Party is serious about winning 2028 and beyond, if it wants to reconnect with its base, if it desires a leader who can unite rather than divide, then Ing. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong is the man for the job. He has been a fighter for the NPP when it mattered most. He has been loyal when many turned opportunistic. And just like in his sports days, he knows how to turn the underdogs into champions. For NPP delegates and Ghanaians at large, this is more than a political choice. It is a moral call to choose service, honor sacrifice, and embrace selflessness.
The time for KAA is now. Ghana has to be Engineered.
