Tollgate Billions Collected, But M1 Remains a Death Trap

As motorists continue to pay billions of kwacha in toll fees at Chingeni and Kalinyeke, the country’s main highway—the M1 road—remains battered, dangerous and neglected, raising serious questions about where the money is going.

Drivers say the road is riddled with potholes, bumps and crumbling surfaces, turning what should be a national economic lifeline into a costly and risky journey.

“We were promised quality roads when tollgates were introduced. What we got instead is a nightmare,” said Lilongwe-based motorist Clement Salewa.

“Our tyres, shocks and suspensions are destroyed faster. This road is as bad as it was before tollgates. So what exactly are we paying for?”

Another motorist, Andrew Sitima, did not mince his words.

“This feels like daylight robbery. I expected the tolled road to be the best in the country—smooth, wide and safe from Blantyre to Lilongwe. Instead, we got a few streetlights and meaningless patches. The rest is still a mess,” he said.

Human rights and governance groups say the public outrage is justified. Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Michael Kaiyatsa said continued deterioration of the road despite steady revenue collection points to institutional failure and possible abuse of public funds.

“When a road keeps collapsing year after year despite billions being collected, then something is fundamentally broken. The Roads Fund Administration must publicly account for every kwacha,” said Kaiyatsa.

He said there is no transparency on:

• How much is collected
• How the money is allocated
• Which projects are funded

Kaiyatsa also demanded independent oversight involving civil society, engineers and communities to stop abuse.

Public anger has been further inflamed by the unresolved theft case at Kalinyeke tollgate, where cashiers were arrested in March 2022 for allegedly stealing K10 million.

“The silence around this case is disturbing,” said Kaiyatsa. “When theft of public funds goes unresolved for years, it destroys public trust and signals weak accountability. The public deserves to know: What happened to the money? Who was punished? What safeguards now exist?”

Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) executive director John Kapito said the tollgate crisis reflects a broader culture of abusing public levies and taxes.

“Toll fees and fuel levies are meant for road construction and maintenance. But consumers are never told how the money is used. What makes it worse is that people pay at tollgates and at fuel pumps—yet roads remain impassable,” said Kapito.

He accused authorities of being more focused on collecting and misusing funds than delivering services.

The Roads Fund Administration (RFA) is under pressure to explain why the tolled road is falling apart despite collecting over K12 billion from Chingeni and Kalinyeke tollgates by end of October 2025.

RFA spokesperson Masauko Mngwaluko confirmed receiving questions on:

• Why the road is not being maintained
• How much has been collected from the Road Levy

But he failed to respond, saying he was still “awaiting approval.”

Meanwhile, Malawi Police Service spokesperson Lael Chimtembo confirmed that the K10 million theft case is still open, nearly three years later.

He said the case is now before a new magistrate after the previous one was promoted to judge.

 

 

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