Kessben

Stephen Kwabena Boateng, better known as Kwabena Kesse or simply Kessben, was a Kumasi businessman who built the Kessben Group into a group spanning media, hospitality, education, finance and logistics. Kessben FM and Kessben TV made his name familiar across the Ashanti Region. He died in Kumasi on 19 August 2026, aged 68.

North Suntreso to the classroom

He was born on 12 September 1957 and grew up in North Suntreso, Kumasi. He attended Akosa M/A School and Kumasi Anglican Senior High School, finishing his O-Levels in 1978, and trained as a teacher at Foso College of Education, completing in 1981. He taught for about three years before travelling abroad to work.

Building the Kessben Group

Back in Ghana he started his own business and spent more than 30 years growing it. The Kessben Group came to include Kessben Travel and Tours, Kessben Driving School, Kessben Computer School, Kessben Shipping and Forwarding, Fosua Hotel and Conference Centre, Kessben University College, Aseda Clinic, Aseda Insurance Brokerage, Transit World and Kessben Consult. His media company, Kessben FM Limited, of which he was sole shareholder, runs Kessben FM, Kessben TV and Aseda TV. He also held a majority stake in Multi Credit Savings and Loans.

Late learner

He kept studying while running the business. He earned a first-class BSc in Economics with Law and an MBA in Finance at KNUST, then went to the Ghana School of Law and was called to the Bar in 2022, at the age of 64. He served on the National Peace Council from 2004 to 2010.

Faith and family

A committed Methodist, he paid for a church auditorium at Bantama on his own. He was married to Eunice Appiah Boateng, known as Mama Fosuaa, and had five children, including his eldest son Festus Kesse and his daughter Claudia, a lawyer.

Death

The Kessben Group announced that he died in Kumasi on Wednesday, 19 August 2026, after a short illness. A book of condolence was opened at his home in Denyame, and tributes came from across Kumasi, including from Herbert Mensah and the May 9 Foundation.