Personality Profile of Kwabena Kesse, Esq: The Life and Legacy of Business Mogul Stephen Boateng

Personality Profile of Kwabena Kesse, Esq: The Life and Legacy of Business Mogul Stephen Boateng

Ghanaian businessman and founder of the Kessben Group of Companies, Stephen Boateng, popularly known as Kwabena Kesse, has died at the age of 68.

His death, reported on Thursday, August 20, 2026, has brought to an end the life of one of Ghana’s prominent entrepreneurs, whose business interests spanned media, education, finance, transportation, hospitality and other sectors.

Born on September 12, 1957, Stephen Boateng grew up at North Suntreso in Kumasi. He later established himself as a successful entrepreneur and businessman, building the Kessben Group of Companies into a diversified business organisation.

The Kessben Group had interests in several areas, including Kessben Travel and Tours, Kessben Driving School, Kessben Computer School, Kessben Shipping and Forwarding Ltd., Fosua Hotel & Conference Centre, Kessben University College, Kessben Consult and Kessben Foundation.

His business empire also extended into the media industry through Kessben FM Limited, which operated Kessben FM, Kessben TV and Aseda TV. Available media ownership records identify Stephen Boateng as the sole shareholder of Kessben FM Limited.

Boateng also had significant interests in the financial sector, including majority ownership of Multi Credit Savings and Loans Ltd. His business journey was marked by expansion into different sectors, with the Kessben Group eventually becoming a major business presence, particularly in the Ashanti Region.

Before becoming a major businessman, Boateng trained as a teacher and worked in the classroom. He later left teaching and ventured into business, beginning with the importation of used electrical appliances, including refrigerators. His entrepreneurial activities subsequently expanded into several other businesses.
He also made notable contributions to education. Stephen Boateng was the founder and Chancellor of Kessben University College, an institution he established after pursuing his long-held ambition of owning an educational institution.

Academically, he held a First Class degree in Economics and Law and a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). He also pursued legal studies and was called to the Ghana Bar.

Beyond business, Kwabena Kesse was known for his philanthropic activities and support for communities and institutions. Through the Kessben Group, he supported a number of social initiatives, including assistance to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s Burns Unit.

His public life was not without controversy. He was at one point charged with two counts of money laundering and forgery of documents in connection with Kessben Shipping, Forwarding and Trading Ltd. He was subsequently cleared after the presiding judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to provide a basis for prosecution.
Stephen Boateng’s death marks the passing of a businessman who built a diverse corporate empire from humble beginnings and became a recognisable figure in Ghana’s business and media landscape.

As tributes are expected to pour in, his legacy will be remembered through the businesses, educational institutions, media platforms and philanthropic initiatives he established during his lifetime.