Contractors for Mombera University identified, construction to commence in Mzimba

Chancy Namadzunda –Nyasa Times

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has identified Clinton and Evans Consulting Firm have been hired as consultants to prepare detailed designs and costing of building Infrastructure for University of Mombera in Mzimba District.

According to a statement signed by the ministry’s Principal Secretary Lonely Magreta the consultants signed a contract with the ministry on April 27, 2016.

“The contract will run for five months, May to September, 2016. At the end of the five months, the consultants will provide the Ministry with detailed designs and costing which will serve as a basis for mobilizing financial resources for the construction of the University.  The actual construction work of the University is envisaged to commence during the 2016/17 financial year,” reads the statement.

In the recent past, many people, especially from the media houses, have called to ask for information on the progress of the University of Mombera project.

It adds, “To reach this stage of the project, there were a number of project activities which the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and other Government stakeholders implemented, some of which are assessment and payment of compensation to Malawians who lost their property because of the need to convert their customary land to public land in order to accommodate the construction of the University and assessment and payment for utility requirements at the site such as water and electricity.

“Curriculum development work to inform the infrastructure requirements of the programmes to be offered by the University, preparation of land use plans.  Such work included designating sites for buildings, roads and facilities for animals, preparation of Tender Documents, Requests for Proposals and evaluation of bids and selection of a successful bidder to be awarded the consultancy for designs and costing.”

The government provided for K200 million in this year’s budget for initial foundations which included water and have electricity connections at the site but it seems nothing has been done so fast.

The university is the brain child of former president, late Bingu wa Mutharika who lined up a number of universities for construction in order to stop scramble for spaces at the University of Malawi and Mzuzu University, the only two public universities in a population of 17 million people leading to the infamous quota system.

Out of the five dream universities, only two are open which are Malawi University of Science and Technology and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

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