Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango has urged the contractor working on the M1 road upgrade project in Lilongwe to speed up construction works, saying government will move to clear outstanding payment certificates to help meet an October 2026 completion target.
Jappie Mhango
Speaking after an inspection visit this week, Mhango said he was encouraged by visible progress since his last visit two months ago, but warned that delays in payments were slowing down the contractor’s capacity to accelerate the project.
“I decided to come and visit this project today on a separate visit, basically to appreciate what is obtaining. I’m a bit happy because what I saw here when I came two months ago, and what is obtaining today, is an improvement,” Mhango said.
The minister said the project currently stands at 23 percent completion, against 60 percent of elapsed time, a gap he partly attributed to government’s outstanding payment obligations.
“Twenty-three percent is not good enough, but for him to push as hard as he can, he must have financial resources, because he has to procure fuel, he must pay staff, and all sorts of things,” he said.
Mhango explained that several payment certificates are still pending within government systems and need to be cleared to allow the contractor to access funds for fuel, equipment and salaries.
“That’s the message I take back to the Ministry of Finance, so that we can clear the outstanding certificates, so that the contractor can accelerate works,” he said.
He stressed that the M1 road section is critical as it passes through the centre of Lilongwe and is a major contributor to traffic congestion in the city’s central business district.
“This project is in the middle of the city, and it is also contributing towards heavy traffic that we are currently encountering in the heart of the city. We need to make sure that this project is completed as soon as yesterday,” he said.
“I would like this job to be finished latest by October this year, all things being equal,” he added, saying government will now engage the Ministry of Finance to ensure proper project financing.
“We need to go back and engage our colleagues in the Ministry of Finance to make sure that this project is properly financed,” he said.
The minister said completing the project on time will help ease persistent traffic congestion affecting commuters and businesses in the capital.
Acting Chief Executive Officer for the Roads Authority, Engineer Joel Longwe, said the M1 upgrade forms part of a wider government programme to decongest Lilongwe and other cities through road expansion and dual carriageway development.
“This one is a capacity improvement from Crossroads to Murray Road, close to Ryongbe Bridge. We have seen progress that contractors were registered to take,” Longwe said.
He said the Japanese Government is funding upgrades from the city centre up to Area 36 near Partners in Hope Hospital, while designs have already been completed for a full dual carriageway from the city centre to Nathenje.
Longwe added that the Chinese Government is supporting works from Crossroads to Kanengo and from Kanengo to Kamuzu International Airport, saying the long-term goal is to ensure uninterrupted traffic flow to the airport.
“Somebody can drive all the way up to the airport without traffic interference,” he said.
He further noted that similar road expansion plans are being developed in Blantyre, including a dual carriageway with an interchange at Kameza Roundabout, alongside plans for 20-kilometre dual carriageways around major towns to improve traffic movement nationwide.
