Mukhito defends police station funding model as 6,000 new officers announced

Malawi’s Homeland Security Minister has doubled down on his insistence that ordinary communities and their MPs must foot the bill for building police posts, with government only stepping in once the buildings are actually finished.

Peter Mukhito made the controversial declaration after facing tough questions in Parliament on Friday, telling reporters afterwards that constituents are expected to mobilise their own resources to construct police units from scratch.

Only once communities have done the heavy lifting themselves, the minister revealed, will government step in to provide architectural designs and deploy officers to the finished facilities.

Mukhito insisted the arrangement reflects government’s commitment to strengthening security nationwide through close collaboration between communities and the Malawi Police Service, insisting the goal remains ensuring every citizen lives in a safe environment.

But in a rare piece of good news for crime-weary Malawians, the minister also revealed that the Malawi Police Service has been given the green light to recruit more than 6,000 new officers — a dramatic boost aimed at tackling growing security demands and beefing up police presence in communities across the country.

Mukhito expressed confidence that the mass recruitment drive will significantly strengthen the police service’s ability to deliver effective security, while continuing to press communities to keep working hand in hand with law enforcement to stamp out crime.