Lilongwe City Council angers Japan over Biwi Hospital project

February 28, 2019 Watipaso Mzungu Jnr -Nyasa Times 29 Comments

The Japanese Ambassador to Malawi, Kae Yanagisawa, has expressed anger and disappointment over the abuse of the financial resources her government gave the Lilongwe City Council to construct Biwi Clinic in Lilongwe.

Nankhumwa (centre) hoists the cut ribbon to signify the opening hospital at the centre of controversy–Photo by Watipaso Mzungu

Early 2012, the Government of Japan gave the council US$193,515 (approximately K146 million) under the Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) to enable city authorities construct the clinic.

The project, which was to run for 10 months, was conceptualised with a view to decongest Bwaila Hospital and Kamuzu Central Hospital.

However, it has taken the council over six months to complete the project because authorities at the council embezzled the money.

Thus, when she handed over the facility to the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa on Wednesday afternoon, Yanagisawa expressed her anger, disappointment and frustration over the way city fathers had handled the project.

“Under the GGP, implementing organisations in Malawi are fully responsible for the management of the project, including designing, procurement, contract, supervision and payment while the Government of Japan is merely funding. Unfortunately, it has taken over six years for the Lilongwe City Council to complete the project instead of the initially agreed 12 months,” she said.

The envoy observed that the delay to finish the project was mainly due to the engagement of unqualified contractors to do the designs who ended up with a substandard work that led to the collapse of a pillar at the main entrance as well as incompliance with the regulation of the District Health Office.

“During the same period, an inspection team of the Audit Office of the Government of Japan visited the project in May 2017. After onsite visits and interviews with relevant officials, the team concluded that the project had not been producing intended impacts.

“The audit report was sent to the National Diet of Japan as one of the very few unsuccessful cases and was disclosed to the general public. This has serious negative impacts on subsequent projects in Malawi as funding has significantly been reduced over the past two years,” stressed Yanagisawa.

Nankhomwa acknowledged the challenges the project faced, including embezzlement of the resources at the council.

The minister was, however, quick to assure the ambassador of Government of Malawi’s commitment to root out corruption and theft of public resources in the councils.

“Let me take this opportunity to warn officials at the councils, who have taken advantage of the decentralisation to abuse public resources, that we will not spare anyone. We will prosecute anybody caught stealing public resources,” he said.

Nankhumwa implored the Government of Japan to consider providing additional resources to enable government procure the equipment for use in the new clinic.

But Yanagisawa told journalists that her government would not provide any additional funding to the project.

“Our funding have been exhausted. So, we are not providing any additional funding. I can only urge the Lilongwe City Council and the District Health Office to step up efforts to ensure deployment of adequate staff as well as necessary medicine and equipment to the facility,” she said.

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29 replies on “Lilongwe City Council angers Japan over Biwi Hospital project”

  1. There’s always people who are selfish and will steal. You can see in the very roots of Malawi how the rich are happy to live like kings whilst the poor suffer. What stops this in most socieities is the rule of law. Those embezzlers clearly had confidence that the law is so poor that they would not be prosecuted. If they aren’t prosecuted I encourage everyone in Malawi to do the same as clearly the law doesn’t function and we’re living in a lawless society.

    What’s laughable is that after stealing money, they want more money. The mentality of parasitism and begging.

  3. It was a big mistake on the part of Japan to hand over the money for the project. Don’t they know that it is common practice in Malawi for those handling money intended for projects to help themselves to some of it? This is of course no excuse for the embezzlement. No wonder that lady was so furious. Japan will think twice before giving aid to Malawi in future. Such corrupt officials shame us all as Malawians.

  4. Manyazi 10 months to 6 years!! Even after 6 years, there stands a substandard building. Ndiwo za madzulo mwasinkha masana, tiwona kuti zitha bwanji.

  7. The madam Ambassador of Japan should cool down her anger over the past mistakes and consider furnishing the clinic and provision of necessary equipment with medicines to make it operational. It is absurd to provide a structure and leave it useless because it took the council too long to complete. Please, consider achieving the objective first but be proactive in your monitoring.
    Japan has already spent a lot on the building, thank you, but, please, don’t let it stand as a white elephant!

  8. If its 6 years then this started during nthawi ya a mayi and kudya kunapitilila nthawi ya dpp. Mbava zokhazokha

    2. The story says funding was done “Early 2012” and by implication the first quarter [Jan to March] of each year is usually what is regarded the period that is term “Early”. Now if you’re to go into history, you’ll appreciate that those resources were provided during Bingu’s rule. Hence DPP had a hand in this, why? its because it started happening under their watch.

      Nevertheless, if Joyce Banda’s government was responsible for the misuse, why has APM taken the five years without acting on this? Is he or was he waiting for Chakwera or CSOs to talk about it to act? Koma boma ilinso iliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Why should Malawians stop blaming APM when we gave him some responsibilities to look after what we have and what we’ve been given? Inunso nde ambuliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii mapetooooooooooooooooooo

      Pomaliza, nonse mndinu akuba musatitayitse nthawi ndi zanu zolozana zala inu a dpp ndi pp!! After all ndimayesa pp ndi mwana wa dpp. Is it possible for a pawpaw to bear a mango? The answer is a straight “No”. If dpp ndi chapani chokuba, pp singakhale yosaba, sizingathekeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

  11. It Was In 2012, And The Project Was To Be Completed Within 10 Months Which Falls In 2013. Joyce Banda Was President Btwn 2012 And 2014, So Why Do You Hate Peter Who Became President 2014.

    1. We hate Peter because he swore to protect our donations! It is his responsibility as President delegated to Local Government Minister and yet he has been seating phiiiiiiii since 2014 without acting on this issue!! Should we assume he is knowing it now? Mxiiiiiiiiiiii abale zonse zochita pa speed ya nkhonooooooooooooo!!

  15. This happening under the wise and dynamic leadership of professor Peter Munthalika…………..Shame so the minister was begging additional funding when then donor knew that earlier fund were stolen by DPP

  16. Malawians are naturally thieves, full stop. Stealing is in their blood. Japan should implement the projects directly, like the Chinese do. Never give money to Malawians. They are chronic thieves.

      1. Correct. However, get data from police stations on complaints lodged with these formations against suspects throughout Malawi. The results are staggering in that it is the same “ethnic groupings” or tribes to be specific. Others join these groupings in the “looting” as accessories. For a start, have a look at statistics kept during the colonial times in particular from 1907 – annual reports. It is the same “social groupings”. It could be that it is part of their culture. Japanese who are culturally taught gender socilisation based on good values at an early age should themselves handle cash meant for infrastructural developments. Japanese never dare give it to institutions such councils to be spent on particular projects. You will regret. Yanagisawa, it is tax from your own people in Japan. It has to be counted that it has been properly spent.

    1. Japan is to blame, they should have everything themselves and just handed over the building, like the Chinese did with the Bakili Muluzi bridge in Mangochi.

    2. Join the discussion…kkkkkk amati under the dynamic not at the dynamic kkkkkkkkk project inali ya 2012 kulibe Peter

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