History: Etymology of Ahenema Kokoben

First of all, Ahenema Kokoben is not the real name of the town. It is called Ahenema Kokobere.

And secondly, Ahenema Kokobere is not even the actual name of the town but rather Ago Asabroye.

It all started with an advice Okomfo Anokye gave Otumfuo Osei Tutu I.

Okomfo Anokye told Otumfuo Osei Tutu I that before he can win any war, he must let his own relative prepare the materials he will use to fire his gun for him because should he use an outsider the person might work against him.

Otumfuo listened to the advice of his good friend and went to Kokofo – ɛdweso where one his uncles was living and brought Nana Ago who also came with her god, Tano Akosa. And it is Nana Ago who founded the town Ago Asabroye.

During those days, when the children of the Asantehene (Nana Owusu Afriyie and his siblings) visit their aunt

Nana Ago at Ago Asabroye, they always return with ntwima (a special red sand which was used to paint houses in the olden days) all over their body.

Whenever they were asked where they went to make themselves look ‘ripe’ (in other words, they were asking the children of Otumfuo Osei Tutu why they were dirty), they always said ‘they went to their aunt’s house at Ago Asabroye’.

So as time went on instead of calling the town Ago Asabroye, they started calling the town Ahenema Kokobere which means the children of the King are going to make themselves ‘ripe’ (dirty). For those of you who do not know what Ahenema means, it means children of a King or Chief and Kokobere means to make ripe.

Ago Asabroye became known as Ahenema Kokobere and later changed to Ahenema Kokoben. The reason why it became known as Kokoben is simply that people just pronounced the Kokobere the wrong way.

However, the official name of the town is still Ago Asabroye.

Video by: Kofi Owusu Bempah

Written by: Nana Asabere