The dramatic power struggle between Yeremiah Chihana and the board of Blantyre Water Board has taken yet another twist after the Supreme Court temporarily rescued Chihana from suspension, extending a legal battle that continues to expose deep governance wrangles at the institution.
MP Yeremiah Chihana
The latest development comes barely a day after High Court Judge Allan Muhome delivered a major blow to Chihana by throwing out his attempt to remain Chief Executive Officer of the Blantyre Water Board, effectively restoring his suspension from office.
In yesterday’s ruling, the High Court discharged an earlier injunction that had briefly returned Chihana to work just hours after his suspension last month. Judge Muhome ruled that Chihana had approached the wrong court and advised him to seek redress at the Industrial Relations Court, which handles labour disputes.
“The law has carefully designed specialised courts to deal with labour matters and so the High Court should not be inundated with such matters, at first instance,” ruled Muhome.
The judgment meant Chihana’s suspension immediately bounced back into force, forcing him out of active control at the water utility institution only weeks after assuming office.
Chihana, who was appointed Chief Executive Officer on April 8, 2026, was suspended by the board on April 26 pending investigations into a series of controversial decisions he allegedly made without board approval.
Among the accusations levelled against him are claims that he unilaterally announced that the water board would provide free water and chlorine to cholera-affected communities and cancel debts owed by water kiosk operators without authorization from the board. He is also accused of allowing an unauthorized person to drive his official vehicle.
The ruling was widely viewed as a serious setback for the former lawmaker, with many seeing it as a collapse of his short-lived return to office and a sign that his grip on the position was weakening.
However, in another dramatic turnaround today, Chihana rushed to the Supreme Court seeking an order to temporarily stop the implementation of the High Court ruling while he prepares his appeal against the decision.
The Supreme Court has since granted the application, effectively allowing Chihana to bounce back into office as Chief Executive Officer for now as the legal fight continues.
His lawyer, Michael Goba Chipeta, earlier confirmed that they intended to challenge the High Court ruling at the Supreme Court of Appeal in a bid to rescue Chihana’s position.
The latest development means the leadership wrangles rocking the Blantyre Water Board are far from over, with the institution now trapped in an escalating courtroom and governance battle at a time when thousands of Malawians continue demanding improved water service delivery.
The continuing legal back-and-forth has also intensified scrutiny over Chihana’s leadership style and raised fresh questions about stability, authority, and governance within one of the country’s key public institutions.
