Former RBM Governor, Dalitso Kabambe Kabambe risks 5 years in jail for ‘stealing’ water from LWB

“We investigated and confirmed a total of 68 water theft cases.”

Malawi’s former Central Bank governor who has been earning a whopping K27 million a month Dr Dalitso Kabambe is among 68 people who have been ‘stealing’ water from Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) through illegal connection.

Dr. Kabambe is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) aspirant for 2025 presidential elections.

Kabambe: denies wrongdoing

Kabambe’s name is contained in the “Name and Shame” list released by the Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) made available to Nyasa Times.

According to LWB press statement, the former governor for Reserve Bank of Malawi, (RBM) Dr Kabambe has been doing this for four months this year.

Kabambe’s name is contained in the “Name and Shame” list released by the Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) made available to Nyasa Times.

LWB in its scathing press statement stated that the cases have already been reported to the police custody and awaiting prosecution in the court of law.

If found guilty, Kabambe will be jailed for five years according to section 298 (8) of the penal code which criminalize water theft.

“Investigated and confirmed. A total of 68 water theft cases and 47.3 million kwacha was administratively charged as penalty,” reads part of the statement.

However, Kabambe vehemently distanced his name from the development.

“I rented out that House to an Indian tenant at the time I was Governor and when this was established in Feb or March, we sorted it out with LWB and the tenant was removed.

“LWB is aware of this and I don’t know why they’re drugging my name,” complained Kabambe.

According to the statement, LWB instituted an investigation earlier this year and it uncovered 68 water theft cases including that of Kabambe

According to the statement, LWB instituted an investigation earlier this year and it uncovered 68 water theft cases including that of Kabambe.

“Between January and April 2021, we investigated and confirmed a total of 68 water theft cases, and a total of K47.3 million was administratively charged in penalties.

These cases, already in Police case files, are being prosecuted in the courts of Malawi.

“Water theft is a criminal offense classified as “Fraudulent Appropriation of Water” under Section 298 ( of the Penal Code, carrying a maximum prison sentence of five years,” reads in part the statement.

A Lilongwe Water Board employee privy the case but opted for anonymity confided in Nyasa Times that the house in question is on Plot Number 06/209 in Area 6, Lilongwe and indeed is owned by Dr Dalitso Kabambe.

“This tells a lot about what kind of a man Kabambe is. How can someone who has been receiving an obscene K27 million a month be failing to pay water bills? This man is just a dishonest man,” said the source.

‘Controversy’

Kabambe was rocked in a salary controversy when it emerged that as governor of Malawi’s central bank, his monthly perk was billed at K27 million (about US$30,000).

Kabambe confirmed the reports, saying his salary was approved by the Bank’s board in line with the Reserve Bank of Malawi Act of Parliament and his years of service.

Kabambe publicly announced his decision to join active politics on 31 December 2020 when he was unveiled as a member of the opposition DPP.

Kabambe will face controversial leader of opposition, Kondwani Nankhumwa and Joseph Mwanamvekha in the race for DPP’s president who will eventually become the party’s torch bearer in 2025 general election.

Dr. Kabambe, born 1973, is an accomplished economist, banker and politician, who served as the 13th Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi from 2017 until 2020.

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41 replies on “Former RBM Governor, Dalitso Kabambe Kabambe risks 5 years in jail for ‘stealing’ water from LWB”

  1. All those monies receiving still involved in stealing water.Things are not adding up

  2. This is pure witch hunting.l know people who have been caught with illegal water and electricity connections amangowalipilitsa fine, so what’s so special nkuti a Kabambe okha amangidwe 5 yrs akapezeka olakwa

  3. But mr DK I think you have some explanation to do here…….first of all LWB says this water theft has been going on for the past 4 months, thus approximately 4 months after the Indian guy was evicted out of the house to give you back the house after losing your job at RBM.

    Can we just accept that it was a mistake and poor judgment to get involved in this criminality act…..

  4. Political for the guy is more intelligent than most of us

  5. Palibe nkhani apa. Mukumuopa Kabambe a khongiresi. Koma 2025 mumva naye m’bebe. DK 2025 woyeee! DPP woyeee!

  6. This article does not make sense if someone lease your house who is responsible for settlements of utility bills? and this reporter would have checked with the tenancy agreement otherwise this is trash further more how is the issue of Kabambes salary connected with the issue of water bills?this shows how myopic,biased this article is.all in all find an issue not this

  7. The account is in the name of Kabambe and, unless this account is on Prepayment schedule, he must have been receiving bills to notice that the waterj consumption pattern was not adding up in terms of usage before and after renting the premises.
    Notwithstanding the foregoing, rushing to imprisonment is overplaying the issue since, I am sure, there is a provision to pay the assessed loss as a way of settling the issue.

  8. “This tells a lot about what kind of a man Kabambe is. How can someone who has been receiving an obscene K27 million a month be failing to pay water bills? This man is just a dishonest man,” said the source. This statement tells it all

  9. I dont like DPP or Kabambe but this is fake news. He wasn’t living in the house and he wasn’t aware of these shenanigans. It is his tenant who is did those illegal connection kukhala ma bill. How was Kabambe supposed to know?
    Our police and ACB ACB should not waste their time on such obviously unwinnable cases. What is water when we have other more important issues to investigate? What happened to cement gate? What happened to Batatawala? What happened to the Covid gate cases, we see people getting freed without trial.

  10. This is just to assassinate DK2025 politically.Tonse will try by all means to stop strong people who gona tear them apart come 2025 electoral time.And this is fear of unknown.The Masterminder of this is Saulos Klaus Chilima as he fears young people of his age to rule Malawi.Komabe Jealous siumina anzanga imwee.

  11. Some guys are happy about Kabambe being under probe kkkk a Malawi nsanje simuzaaamva.U well know Kabambe can’t steal madzi.Ndale za congress kkkkk

  12. How did LWB so quick to publish one’s name before hearing the side of the story first. Seriously can Kabambe do this? Apa ndale zangolowapo within DPP or other parties kuti apange tarnish his image since he is a presidential aspirant but this is not the way we should be finishing each other!

  13. I think the statement with Kabambe has made makes sense. These indians have that tendacy of not paying utility bills to the houses they rent.

    1. No, the statement does not make sense. If it is the Indian who did it, then the Indian should have paid the penalty and not Kabambe. Did he claim the money back from the Indian? If he did not, then the culprit is Kabambe – social case closed but opened for prosecution.

      1. Peter Sam, you are very stupid and you should have questioned the author of this article and to me, this completely looks like witch-hunting. In the article, by settling with Water Board, shows how he respects the services by the Board. He settled it with the Board, that has nothing to do with him or the so called Indian paid him. In this case, he had to sort it out because he felt the tenant was his and a new tenant had to find a clean account.

    2. “These Indians have a tendancy “And yet there isn’t one Indian name on that name and shame list… Once again Malawians on social media love the” blame the amwenye tendancy “because its the easy way out and people love to believe anything bad about mwenye.

  14. Cut the crap. No criminal issue with Kabambe. Strange that LWB is being used for political ends. Actually they might even be sued for character assasination because of publishing an issue which was resolved properly way before. The way MCP is operating I am afraid if we are going to have democracy in this country even after two years. It seems everything is going south.

  15. money money money.
    Ku DZ kwatuluka nkhani ya bambo wa stroke being cared by a young girl then! now grown up bit. anyway not know what the family issues are BUT we got chiefs . Yes!!! then THE THE MPs yeah right. KAFWAFWA HAS BEEN THERE since I was young yeah! another MP wamanga lodge mpanda wake malile ndi mitengo ya manda on the junction going to BOX 48 only you cant see it unless you know it or leave aling that bit. winaso anayamba kumanga opposite an old abandoned gas station by M1 before the road block just befire DPP died and incomplete now beause cant steal anymore!!! yes and we call them OUR LEADERS and we got the DC etc KANYANGALAZI anakaingoletsa kusintha oil and check gear box for K1Million and after being found of his laziness and thievery , the previous govt transferred him to Kasungu. to hide his funds misappropite deals.

    THAT’S WHAT WE CALL TRANSFORMING MALAWI TO LOOK LIKE SINGAPORE

  16. Just pay them in order to do away with this mudslinging, after all what’s k1.2 m to you??. Have a bigger picture….I mean do not be tunnel visioned……

  17. Am not DPP nor pro Kabambe but according to the artcle, Kabambe says this matter was resoved with LWB, to me there is no story here and this smacks of mudslinging.

  18. Cheap propaganda, it is not this Kabambe that they might be talking about and they say four months this year..what happened to the previous period before this ?…crazy..

  19. By their fruits you should know them not by their words. DPP is a party where all dishonest folks find refuge another one is Gerald Viola, these are people who have murdered their conscience. Pay back time is here bwana DPP aspirant president> It gonna be thafuuuuuu

  20. It seems the dude is a klepto through and through. And when he says his obscene salary was approved by the board, he neglects to mention that he was the chairman of that board — it was not an independent decision by any stretch of the imagination.

    When God forbid he becomes the president, he will be making a billion a month, claiming that “the cabinet approved it”. Chindere chakufikapo. Mxii! Ase!

  21. How can a THIEF become an accomplished economist and banker. 27M per month salary is even higher than that of the president. HOW? Politics and Politicians in Malawi are totally hopeless.

  22. Exactly the reason I hate politics. I don’t have to be DPP to tell that some cheap politics is in play here. Name and shame ndiye kuti chani? When did that campaign by LWB start? 2025 kwatalika and indeed tiyeni tiyendetse boma mokomera anthu and leave aside this crap!

  23. This is an issue having something to do with water connection which was done not following official norm. Unfortunately, one can tell that there’s more to this than what the eye can see and the ear can hear. I cannot comment any further. After you are done with your political bickering and shenanigans you will also inform the general public the outcome. Interestingly, all you’re doing is setting up precedence which in due course must apply to everyone regardless of affiliations.

  24. Was he living in the house? I had a tenant do an illegal electricity connection without my knowledge. It’s the next tenant who informed me and I took it up. If was not living in the house no case. The tenant is responsible

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