Nsipe-Chingeni-Liwonde Road: Malawi’s key route pushed back to 2027

A major road project in Malawi has been pushed back by more than a year, raising concerns about the impact on food distribution and economic stability ahead of the rainy season.

The 55-kilometre Nsipe-Chingeni-Liwonde Road, funded by the European Union, the African Development Bank and the Malawian government, has reached just 26 percent completion since construction began, with the finishing date now revised to 2027 — 380 days beyond the original schedule.

The Roads Authority (RA) attributed the delays partly to compensation disputes involving communities living along the construction route.

Spokesperson Lawrent Kumchenga said the contractor, Jiangxi Construction Group, was otherwise performing well.

“We have managed to reach 26 percent completion of the 55-kilometre stretch to date. The contractor is performing well, although we have faced some challenges, including compensation issues involving people affected along the road construction path,” he said.

The delay has alarmed the Transporters Association of Malawi, which warned that the extended timeline could disrupt fertiliser deliveries under the government’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) as the rainy season approaches.

Association spokesperson Frank Banda said the consequences could ripple through the wider economy.

“If there are delays in moving fertiliser to the right places at the right time, it will affect national maize output,” he said, adding that poor road conditions push up transport costs and ultimately raise the price of goods for consumers.

Economist Levison Chiwaula said the road’s strategic importance extends well beyond local transport.

The route connects key agricultural areas including Nsipe, Liwonde and Machinga, and links Malawi to the Nacala Corridor — a critical gateway to international trade.

The project also includes the construction of a one-stop border post at Chiponde, designed to streamline the processing of imports and exports.

Once completed, Chiwaula said, road users could expect shorter journey times and lower vehicle running costs — benefits that would feed through to the broader economy.

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