Independence Square to host farewell for the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo
The Kantanka family has announced revised funeral arrangements for the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo, including a national farewell ceremony at Independence Square, following consultations with the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, church leaders, family elders and relatives living abroad.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Friday, May 29, 2026, Sarah Adwoa Safo, who was introduced as head of the family at the event and daughter of the late Apostle, said the earlier funeral programme had been revised after family members abroad indicated they needed more time to prepare and travel to Ghana for the burial.
“Having consulted all our family members across the world, and their preparations to come and honour their beloved son, their beloved father, their beloved uncle, indicated that the time was too short for them to plan their coming and to come and pay their last respects to our late father,” she said.
Ms Safo explained that the family held extensive consultations with relatives in Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and other countries, together with leaders of the Kristo Asafo Mission, before agreeing on the revised arrangements.
“We’ve been in consultation first with Otumfuo. He has given his blessing with the word that we are addressing the press today,” she said.
Under the new programme, the burial service will take place at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region on July 30, 2026, while a national farewell ceremony is scheduled for Independence Square in Accra on July 31, 2026.
A thanksgiving service will also be held in Kumasi on August 8, 2026, although the venue is yet to be announced.
Explaining the decision to hold the thanksgiving service in Kumasi, Ms Safo said it reflected the late apostle’s Ashanti heritage.
“We shall have the Thanksgiving service in Kumasi, since my father is an Ashanti and the true blood of the Ashanti Region,” she said.
The family also unveiled two official funeral cloths for the ceremonies. A black-and-red cloth bearing the image of Apostle Safo will be worn during the burial and national farewell ceremonies, while a black-and-white cloth carrying his image will be used for the thanksgiving service in Kumasi.
Ms Safo appealed to leaders of the Kristo Asafo Mission to ensure the approved dress code was communicated to members across all branches of the church.
“I’ll plead with everyone that you make it uniform, to make it well orderly organised. If we all follow the directive here, it will make our function very colourful,” she said.
She further extended an invitation to persons with disabilities, pastors, imams and traditional spiritual leaders to participate in the national farewell ceremony at Independence Square.
“My father was a great fan of the disabled in our society, and they would all want to identify with him on that day. I invite every person who has benefited from my father’s charity to also come and pay farewell to him at the Independence Square on the 31st of July,” she said.
Apostle Safo was born in Bekwai in the Ashanti Region. He studied engineering at the Ghana Technical Works Institute in Kumasi and later worked with the Volta Aluminium Company before founding the Kristo Asafo Mission in 1969.
The mission later expanded into the manufacture of electronics, agricultural tools and vehicles, becoming one of Ghana’s most recognised indigenous industrial movements.
In 1994, Apostle Safo established Kantanka Automobile, which began vehicle production in 1998 and became a symbol of local innovation and industrialisation. He died on September 11, 2025.
