Mwenye installed as acting CEO for Lilongwe Water Board: Ministry of Agriculture gets 2 CEOs on secondment

Lilongwe Water Board (LWB)  Director of Corporate Services, Moses Mwenye  has replaced  chief executive officer Alfonso Chikuni  in an acting capacity as the former boss has been removed from the parastatal.

Government has moved Chikuni to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development where he will serve as chief director responsible for irrigation and water development, according to a letter dated December 9 2019 signed by Chief Secretary to Government Lloyd Muhara.

Chikuni has since been replaced at LWB by Mwenye, a holder of Master of Arts (Human Resource Management) from University of Malawi.

Government sources say people should expect more changes coming in a quest to improve service delivery at the board and also curb corruption especially in the procurement of services and goods.

Mwenye will have to step in and redeem LWB from the concerns of  alleged corrupt pracises in procurement of services including the way the board intends to award contract to Sawa Group including  huge debts it cannot pay.

LWB obtained  a $17 million (about K12.5 billion) loan from National Bank of Malawi (NBM) to meet some preparatory works for the K400 billion water project awarded to South Africa-based engineering firm Khato Civils, requiring it to pay NBM close to K600 million monthly.

Chikuni become a second CEO from  State enterprise this month to be seconded  to Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development. The first one was Margret Roka-Mauwa who was removed as head of  Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc).

Mauwa’s removal was a direct reaction to threats of an industrial action Admarc employees made. The staff at State produce trader  also demanded the removal of director of finance Harold Mwala and company secretary James Kaphale on allegations of abuse of office and mismanagement of resources.

Roka-Mauwa was seconded to Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development as controller of agricultural extension and technical services according to a letter dated December 2 2019 signed by Muhara.

There is also similarities of Chikuni and Mauwa as Muhara says under the terms of her secondment, both former CEO’s  will continue receiving their salary and other benefits they are  entitled to from the statutory corporation, but government will be reimbursing the same to the parastatals on a quarterly basis.