Mzuzu Lions Clubs install new leadership for 2026/2027 year
Three Lions Clubs in Mzuzu — Mzuzu Lions Club, Mzuzu Viphya Lions Club and Katoto Speciality Lions Club — have installed new leadership for the 2026/2027 Lionistic Year, following a Changeover Dinner held at Sunbird Mzuzu Hotel on Saturday.
The event brought together Lions members, partners and invited guests to mark the transition from the outgoing leadership to newly elected office bearers.
District 412B Governor George Chirombe presided over the installation ceremony, formally inducting the incoming presidents into their roles leading the clubs’ community service work under the Lions Clubs International mission.
The newly installed presidents are Samson Mzungu of Mzuzu Lions Club, Moses Langa of Mzuzu Viphya Lions Club, and Dr Lilian Chirwa of Katoto Speciality Lions Club.
Guest of honour Davie Mwenechanya, Chief Treasury Officer at NBS Bank, commended the clubs for their contribution to community development, highlighting in particular the record of Mzuzu Lions Club over its 31 years of service.
Among the club’s achievements is the upgrading of the Mzuzu Lions SightFirst Eye Hospital, a four-year project launched in 2021 with support from the Lions Clubs International Foundation and Latter-day Saint Charities. The initiative, valued at approximately $516,000, has funded infrastructure improvements, modern equipment, staff training and expanded outreach services at the hospital.
“Behind every cataract operation is someone who can see again. Behind every pair of spectacles is someone who can read, work and participate more effectively in their community,” Mwenechanya said.
He also recognised the work of Mzuzu Viphya Lions Club and Katoto Speciality Lions Club in areas including healthcare, environmental protection, support for vulnerable groups and social welfare.
“These efforts represent the true meaning of the Lions motto: We Serve,” he said.
Mwenechanya paid tribute to the outgoing office bearers, singling out the leadership of Dr Cedric Sapuwa, Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga, and Daniel Nyirenda for their role in advancing the work and visibility of the three clubs. He encouraged them to continue supporting the incoming leadership by sharing their experience and knowledge.
Addressing the new leaders, Mwenechanya urged them to govern with integrity, humility, accountability and commitment.
“Do not measure your leadership only by the number of meetings you hold or the activities you organise. Measure it by the lives you touch, the communities you improve and the lasting difference you leave behind,” he said.
He also encouraged the clubs to deepen collaboration with government, development partners and the private sector, saying such partnerships could help the Lions implement larger projects and develop sustainable solutions to community challenges.
The Changeover Dinner marked both a change in leadership and a renewed commitment by the three Mzuzu-based clubs to community service under the “We Serve” banner — a pledge organisers said aligns with Malawi’s long-term Agenda 2063 development plan.
