Ernest Kumi

Ernest Yaw Kumi was a Ghanaian politician who represented the Akwatia constituency in Parliament from January until his death in July 2025. A member of the New Patriotic Party ''', he won the closely contested December 2024 election.

Early life and education

Kumi was born in 1984 in Akyem Wenchi in Ghana. He studied at the Regional Maritime University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Ports and Shipping Administration in 2009. He later pursued a Master of Business Administration in Corporate Governance at the University of Professional Studies in 2014. In 2019, he obtained a Bachelor of Laws from Mountcrest University College. He also completed a Master of Science in Defence and International Politics from the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College in 2022.

Career

Politics

Kumi contested and won the Akwatia seat in December 2024, defeating incumbent Henry Yiadom Boakye of the National Democratic Congress with approximately 19,269 votes to Boakye's 17,206.

Legal challenge

Kumi briefly faced a High Court injunction in January 2025 that barred him from being sworn in. He was subsequently convicted of contempt in February 2025, and a bench warrant was issued. His party appealed, and the Supreme Court overturned the ruling in a 4–1 decision in June 2025, restoring his parliamentary status and barring further sentencing.

Death

Kumi died after a brief illness on 7 July 2025, at the age of 40.