Chitipa’s K7.4bn market branded a ‘game changer’ — but Phiri warns builders to stay in line
A cabinet minister has issued a blistering warning to contractors building the K7.4 billion Kapoka Modern Market in Chitipa — telling them they will face penalties if they dare cut corners on the flagship project.
Local Government and Rural Development Minister Dr Ben Malunga Phiri delivered the stern message on Saturday during a high‑profile groundbreaking ceremony at Kapoka, in Senior Chief Mwenemisuku’s area.
The market, funded under the TRADE Programme with support from IFAD, is being billed as one of the district’s biggest infrastructure upgrades in years — and Phiri made it clear the government will not tolerate shoddy work.
He told contractors that the facility must be built exactly as designed, warning that any deviation from approved architectural plans would be met with consequences.
“No poor workmanship. No shortcuts,” Phiri insisted, stressing that taxpayers deserved a modern market built to standard, not a rushed structure that collapses under pressure.
TRADE National Programme Coordinator Dr Babra Ntapara said the market is expected to transform Chitipa’s economy by giving farmers better access to buyers and boosting agricultural commercialisation.
Chitipa District Commissioner Charles Mhone went further, calling the project a “game changer” that could reshape the district’s economic future.
Local traders say the upgrade is long overdue.
Kapoka Market Committee Chairperson Moses Silumbu thanked the government for finally investing in a proper facility, saying the current market becomes nearly unusable during the rainy season.
“This modern market will give us a decent place to trade,” he said. “We’ve suffered for years.”
Construction is expected to move at pace — and with Phiri’s warning ringing in contractors’ ears, the government says it wants nothing short of a top‑class market for Chitipa.
