K18bn Karonga-Songwe road project stalls: Malawi gov’t lack of commitment
Malawi government’s lack of seriousness has forced the World Bank to delay the release of US$25 million [about K18 billion] for the rehabilitation of the Karonga-Songwe Border road project that was expected to commence this year, Nyasa Times can reveal.
Minister of Transport and Public Works, Francis Kasaila, had told parliament during its last sitting in November that government would be rehabilitating all border roads in the country, claiming there was readily available funding from the World Bank.
However, Nyasa Times understands that World Bank had set parameters as condition for the release of funds but government has failed to meet any them.
According to National Roads Authority (NRA) CEO Trevor Hiwa, World Bank asked government to compensate people who would be affected by the rehabilitation of the road as well as make sure that there were fewer roadblocks remaining on the route.
“The unavailability of money on part of government is the major challenge that is affecting the progress of the whole project,” Hiwa told Nyasa Times after inspecting the road.
Hiwa explained that the World Bank’s sole intention to fund the project was to speed up traffic on the route but unfortunately the road had too many check points.
“There are a total of eleven checkpoints from Karonga border to Mzuzu a thing that is against World Bank’s wants,” he said.
Hiwa recommended there was “need to reduce the checkpoints to win World Bank’s interest [to fund the project].”
He said all the needful, including the involving of a consultant had been done.
Hiwa said what was remaining was for government to “procure a contractor.”
Reacting to the development, Kasaila pledged government would secure a contractor as soon as possible so that work would commence in the most immediate future.
On compensation, Kasaila was mum. He only called on people who cultivate along the road “to stop soon after harvesting.”
He suggested that in the interim a contractor should be identified to fill the potholes that punctuate the road.
The Karonga-Songwe border road will be done alongside the construction of the ‘one border post’ to be funded by Dodoma and Lilongwe. The cost of how much the post will cost has not been established yet.
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The world bank is very right, the road has got too many check points and it really anoys.
The excuses are not justified at all.
What really disturbs me is that why such hatrade against the Northerners? We fought together for our independence.We led the multi-party struggle against Mphonongo Banda’s brutal dictatorship.Academically,we are far ahead of the two regions hence,jealousy motivated quota system the only one in the Continent of Africa.Northerners are paying taxes like their brothers from south and central Malawi.At independence,5 cabinet ministers emanated from the north and all of them trained in colonial institutions.In Manchester City,UK there are more doctors than they are in Malawi itself and 89 percent are from the north.So your jealousies will not help you and you will… Read more »
What security are talking about in Malawi go tz 935km u find one road block but in Malawi a 270km 5 road blocks for katagale basi, for the North is blessed by God him self 1 good culture, good rains u will not find in people in North looking a job for house boy, girl, tobacco tenant just now will be coming to buy maize we have plenty of maize olo apm brought his fertilizer to late instead of bringing basal fertilizers he started with top dressing fertilizers bravo North
Kweni eeeee zinazi
General Marshall Obama, you are stupid and typical dpp thug. What security? What is in malawi that developed countries would like to overthrow apm for? You are failing to run the govt and coming up with stupid lame excuses. You think someone who seriously wants to overthrow the govt would pass through a road block or check point? Last year it was your dpp govt which stated that they will reduce road blocks as they were just too Many and most of them unnecessary. The world bank is saying the same but you are now opposing it. You dpp people… Read more »
Dpp stalling because it is Karonga in the north not thyolo in the south. We know you. Koma stealing the minerals from Karonga you are at the forefront with your Chinese friends.
Evil people you are.
This clearly shows how foolish this government is. Kasaila has been busy making a lot of noise defending DPP attacks and yet fail to assist our brothers in the north to have this important road rehabilitated. We are left with conviction that the DPP government in its current state is no other than trash.
we know that when it comes to north related development all these bandits(govt) retreat, when they say(northerners) they want to be independent mukukanisakaso to grant them that wish, build or renovate that nasty Mzuzu airport mukukanikaso, so when they complain bittery from their hearts muziti anthu wozikonda? KARONGA should have been a priority road, its the only district, people have developed the district with very less govt intervention, Mangochi was developed by corporate world, most of the hotels in Mangochi are owned by corporate companies, while Karonga has been built by locals!!!!! MRA also relies heavily on Songwe for revenue… Read more »
Personally, I do not see connection between checkpoints and construction of the roads. Check-points are part of national security. Do World Bank want vigewenga from USA and Europe to smuggle chamba, deadly weapons and other prohibited drugs through Karonga-Songwe? We know WB is an agent of US-EU violent strategies to prolong theft started by their grandpas during slave trade and colonial era. If that is the plan, it has been foiled. We are watching. We recent foiled their coup d’état. We will succeed …