By Steve Chirombo
Minister of Homeland Security Peter Mukhitho has urged parents and guardians to ensure that all children are registered at birth, saying the process guarantees identity, ownership, and participation in national development.
Mukhitho made the call on Tuesday during a tour of centres implementing the national birth registration campaign in Dedza District. He was accompanied by Deputy Minister of Homeland Security, Norman Chisale and other senior government officials.
“Birth registration gives children identity, ownership and a sense of belonging which allows them to fully participate in national development,” said Mukhitho.
The minister said registering children early would help avert challenges experienced during previous general elections, noting that universal registration would ease processes ahead of the 2030 polls.
He commended communities in Dedza for their positive response to the exercise, observing that registration figures indicate strong uptake across the district.
Mukhitho said government is satisfied with the progress being made and encouraged families with unregistered children to take advantage of the exercise before the current phase ends.He announced that phase two of the national birth registration campaign will commence soon to capture children who may have missed the first phase.
Mukhitho attributed the initiative to President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, describing the programme as a fulfilment of the President’s vision to ensure every Malawian has a legal identity.
On the possibility of extending phase one, as more children continue to report to registration centres, the minister said government will review progress and determine the appropriate way forward.
He, however, noted that birth registration services remain available at councils and other designated facilities beyond the campaign period.
European Union Ambassador to Malawi Daniel Aristi Gastelumendi described the exercise as a major milestone and commended the high turnout, particularly among women presenting children for registration.
He said the European Union has supported national registration processes in Malawi for the past 10 years and is pleased with the continued partnership with government on the programme, which runs until 2028.
United Nations Development Programme Country Representative Fenella Frost said the visit demonstrated the impact of national leadership in advancing civil registration.
She said birth registration enables children to access essential services, express their rights, and strengthens linkages between health, education, and social protection system.
Frost added that having comprehensive registration will help government save resources during difficult economic periods and ensure efficient service delivery.
She said development partners are exploring additional access points, including village-level registration, to reach children not born in health facilities.
As of Monday, day eight of the 10-day campaign, a total of 213,314 records from Dedza had been synchronised to the National Registration Bureau server, representing 57.4 percent of the estimated target of 371,567.
During the tour, the delegation visited Dedza Government and Kapalamula primary schools under Boma Zone, as well as Muonekera and Ntchito primary schools under Bembeke Zone.
