By Fostina Mkandawire
Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, Roza Fatch Mbilizi, has commended progress made on the Salima–Lilongwe Water Supply Project, saying key construction milestones have been achieved since works commenced in January 2025.
Mbilizi made the remarks on Tuesday during an inspection visit to project sites in Salima, where she described the progress as encouraging and said the project will significantly improve livelihoods, public health and economic activities.
“The progress is encouraging. Water is life, and this project will go a long way in improving livelihoods, public health and economic activities for our people,” she said.
Six water storage tanks have been completed across four sites, while three pumping stations have been fully constructed and are nearing operational readiness. Pipe-laying works have also commenced along the Lifuwu–Katengeza stretch as part of the project’s transmission network.
The Minister acknowledged that foreign exchange shortages have affected the importation of equipment and materials, but said government remains committed to completing the project on schedule.
“We are aware of the challenges surrounding foreign currency, but as a government, we are prioritising this project to make sure it is completed on schedule,” Mbilizi said, expressing optimism that works could be finalised ahead of the projected March 2027 deadline.
The project, valued at USD 315 million, approximately MWK 548 billion, is financed through the Malawi Government’s national budget and loan facilities.
Khato Civils Group Finance Director Pride Phiri said the project has reached 43 per cent completion, but noted that foreign currency shortages have affected procurement of essential imported materials.“We have made steady progress, but foreign currency shortages have affected the procurement of essential materials; some of the materials we require cannot be sourced locally and must be imported,” he said.
Phiri said the company has engaged government authorities to prioritise foreign currency allocation, noting that resolving the challenge is critical to maintaining the project timeline.
“If financing and material availability improve, we expect to complete the project in the first quarter of 2027,” he said.
Once completed, the project will extract and deliver 100 million litres of potable water from Lake Malawi to Lilongwe City, Dowa and Salima districts through a 120-kilometre transmission pipeline.
