Water board chairman accused of hijacking utility as bidders threaten legal action
Blantyre Water Board (BWB) Board Chairperson Stanley Chirwa is facing calls for an independent investigation amid allegations that he has overstepped the boundaries of his role, intervening directly in procurement decisions and day-to-day management functions typically reserved for executive staff at the public utility.
The allegations centre on the prolonged suspension of five senior directors — heading Human Resources and Administration, Procurement and Disposal, Distribution and Commerce, and Finance and Technical Services — who were placed on administrative leave on 9 February 2026 pending a forensic audit.
More than six months later, the suspensions remain unresolved, having effectively become indefinite, raising questions about both the delay in completing the audit and the legal basis for extending the leave this long.
According to allegations put to this publication, Chirwa sought to appoint auditors for the exercise through a restricted tendering process, a request the Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) declined on the grounds that he had not adequately justified departing from open competitive tender.
Separately, it is alleged that Chirwa unilaterally cancelled several procurement processes that had already completed evaluation, with tender results having been published in The Nation newspaper on 24 March 2026.
A second tender row
The allegations against Chirwa are not the only procurement controversy engulfing BWB.
A separate group of bidders is now threatening legal action over a tender the utility advertised on 12 June 2026, covering 11 procurement categories including hardware, medical supplies, maintenance and security services, and civil works under framework agreements running to 2027 and 2028.
Bidders were instructed to submit sealed bids by 9am on 2 July. But on the scheduled opening date, several companies that had deposited bids at BWB’s offices were told, moments before the ceremony was due to begin, that there would be no opening.
Bidders say they were instructed to collect their submissions and leave, and were told no questions would be entertained at that point, with a formal explanation promised by 7 July.
No such communication had been issued by that date.
Bidders have now vowed to pursue legal action, arguing the utility breached its own obligations under the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, which requires procuring entities to formally communicate any amendments to bidding documents.
“BWB understands procurement procedures. You cannot wait until the day of bid opening and then suddenly stop the process without formally communicating to bidders,” one bidder said, adding that companies had travelled from as far as Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Mulanje at their own expense.
Several bidders have also raised the matter with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the PPDA.
BWB’s respons.
When contacted, BWB chief executive Yeremia Chihana referred queries to Mavuto Chimtengo, identified as the board’s chairman of procurement. Chimtengo said Section 66 of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act permits a procuring entity to cancel a process at any stage, and maintained bidders had been notified by email ahead of the opening.
He did not respond when asked to provide the dates or content of those emails after bidders disputed having received them.
Employees who spoke to this publication on condition of anonymity said the developments have unfolded without the knowledge of the board’s chief executive, pointing to a governance breakdown between the board chairman and executive management.
Further allegations
Further allegations concern the purchase of bidding documents on behalf of three firms — PKG Associates, C-Success Consulting and Baker Tilly — despite none of them attending a mandatory pre-bid meeting, a requirement that ordinarily results in automatic disqualification under procurement rules. Yvespro Consult was the only bidder to attend the meeting as required.
Those alleged to be assisting Chirwa in these matters include Chimtengo himself, Oweni Maloni, the Limbe zone manager; Andrew Masiye, a member of the Internal Procurement and Disposal Committee; and Crissy Mwasowa, who is said to be seeking appointment as acting procurement manager.
Why it matters
A procurement expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the developments risked undermining confidence among private suppliers on whom public institutions depend for service delivery.
“Government relies on the private sector for the supply of goods and services… They deserve transparency and professionalism,” the expert said.
The allegations, if substantiated, would raise broader questions about board oversight and procurement integrity at one of Malawi’s key public utilities, at a time when donor and investor confidence in the transparency of state-linked institutions remains a live concern for the country’s development partners.
Chirwa has not yet responded publicly to the claims, and the allegations set out here have not been independently verified.
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