By Wendy Mkandawire
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi Chapter has joined the world in commemorating the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) with a call on government to address challenges hindering citizens’ access to accurate and relevant information.
This year’s commemoration is being held under the theme: “Upholding Information Integrity in the Digital Age: The role of access to information in addressing information disorder.”
The day, observed annually on September 28, raises awareness on the importance of the right to seek, receive and impart information.
In a statement released on Sunday signed by its Chairperson Felix Washon, said easy and timely access to accurate and reliable public information is key to combating false information, which is rampant especially on social media.
In Malawi, the Access to Information (ATI) Act of 2017, which provides a framework for the realization of Section 37 of the Constitution, became operational on September 30, 2020. The law gives citizens the legal right to access information held by public institutions and relevant private bodies.
While acknowledging some steps taken by government in the past six years to ensure implementation of the law, MISA Malawi said unprepared and unwilling institutional systems and individuals in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) continue to make access to credible information difficult.
The Chapter cited a monitoring exercise conducted by the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) the body legally mandated to oversee implementation of the ATI law in January 2026 across 58 institutions in seven districts.
According to the findings, only 29 institutions, representing about 50 percent, had designated Information Officers. Only 17 institutions (29.31%) had copies of the ATI Act and Regulations, five institutions (8.62%) had information manuals and only six (10.34%) had a specific budget for ATI.
The exercise also found that only 11 out of 58 institutions (19.97%) had websites meeting minimum ATI requirements, nine institutions (15.52%) had information guides and only seven institutions (12.07%) had submitted names of their Information Officers to the Ministry of Information.
MISA Malawi further noted that staff in the monitored institutions had no knowledge of the Act and were using information formats that do not meet the needs of people with disabilities.
“The ATI Act Regulations empower the Minister of Information to publish names of Information Officers in at least two newspapers of nationwide circulation at the beginning of each financial year, as provided under Regulation 3(3)”, reads part of the statement.
However, MISA Malawi observed that since the operationalization of the Act, the Minister only published names of some Information Officers in December 2023.
“We therefore call for immediate and consistent publication of names of all Information Officers to ensure that citizens know who to contact in the different institutions,” the statement reads.
MISA Malawi has urged government to ensure that public institutions improve compliance, that Information Officers are well-trained, that institutions provide information proactively, and that accessibility is ensured, including for people facing language or disability barriers.
The organization also said citizens need greater awareness of their right to know and called for the national budget to fund public awareness campaigns.
