Minister tells Mayor Bikoko to stay in his lane

Local Government Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa on Thursday summoned estranged Lilongwe Mayor Desmond Bikoko and cautioned him to stay in his lane.

Nankhumwa, a political heavyweight summoned Bikoko and the Council’s CEO Moza Zeleza alongside Principal Secretary for the ministry to deliver his utter disgust over the alleged conduct of the Mayor, Nyasa Times understands.

“Your worship please leave the operations of the secretariat alone. Your role is that of steering goodwill of the citizens and partners but not administrative. Please leave administrative issues to the CEO he is hired to handle those,” Nankhumwa is reported to have told the Mayor.

Apparently a day before the summon, Bikoko had gone to deliver his accusations to the PS but was caught in the middle failing to re-open the same statements he conveyed the previous day.

“Your worship please tell the minister and the meeting the same thing you said to me yesterday,”  the PS is reported to have told the Mayor a statement that saw him mute and jaw dropped.

At this juncture the minister asked the CEO to explain why there is bad blood between the two unlike is the situation in other Cities where Mayors and CEO have cordial relationships.

The borne of contention, it was heard that the Mayor was mistaking his position as an Executive Mayor as is the case in other countries.

In Malawi, the role of the Mayor is simply ceremonial meaning he has no powers to interfere with the Secretariat and it’s operations but help in formulation of city by laws and enhance corporate and citizen relations.