LILONGWE (Maravipost)-Malawi Government has pledged its commitment to accelerating the construction of 12,500 housing units for officers in the Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police Service, Malawi Prison Service and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, describing the initiative as critical to strengthening national security.
Speaking in Parliament, Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Chimwemwe Chipungu said the long-standing housing shortage among security personnel has negatively affected morale, discipline and operational readiness, with many officers forced to live in rented accommodation far from their duty stations.
Chipungu said the program, originally designed to deliver 10,000 houses, has been scaled up to 12,500 units to progressively address the housing deficit.
Since its launch, 139 contracts covering 3,972 houses have been awarded nationwide. Of these, 172 units have been completed across several districts, with 132 already handed over to the beneficiary institutions.
An additional 409 houses are at 80 percent completion or beyond, positioning them for imminent delivery once funding is secured.
However, implementation has been slowed by financial constraints.
Government arrears on the project have risen to over MK52 billion, resulting in stalled construction at a number of sites.
In some cases, contractors have also failed to meet contractual obligations, prompting the re-tendering of affected projects.
To restore momentum, the Minister said the government will prioritise funding for projects nearing completion, roll out a structured arrears settlement plan, strengthen contract management and oversight, and enforce strict action against underperforming contractors.
Chipungu stressed that decent housing for security personnel is not a luxury but a necessity, reaffirming government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the successful delivery of the program.
Speaking on a point of orders , first to speak, Mwanza Central,Felix Njawala asked the ministry how they are going to manage the rate payment of contractors, which lead to corruption.
Seconded by Mchinji south who is also former minister of lands, Deus Gumba applaud his successor for presenting what was really on the ground and recommend him for taking up he good work.
Concluded by Nkhotakota central, Ayuba James who asked the minister to restructure the area 30 houses which were built with one stare in the front upstairs behind making the place looking bad.
Malawi congress party,Whip in the house Moses Kunkuyu asked the Minister to exercise his power by demolishing the wrongly built houses for the betterment of the country.
In his response Chipungu assured the members that he will engage the planning department to look into area 30 construction and the ministry will be giving contracts to everyone without political affiliations.