BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-United Transformation Movement (UTM) president Dalitso Kabambe has pledged that, if elected in the upcoming 16 general elections, his government will allocate K100 billion annually to each district to drive local development and strengthen decentralisation.
In an interview with Maravi Post, Kabambe said despite Malawi adopting a decentralisation policy more than 25 years ago, district councils remain chronically underfunded, resulting in inadequate service delivery in sectors such as education, health, agriculture, transport, and water.
The UTM leader argued that although local governance structures from Village Development Committees to District Executive Committees work diligently to produce community-driven development plans, these plans rarely receive full financial support.
He accused successive central governments of failing to devolve resources as required by law, using decentralisation as a political slogan while retaining control of funds for self-enrichment.
“The result is that communities are being left behind. Young people and families are leaving rural areas in search of opportunities in cities or abroad,” he said.
The former Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM ) Governor said his proposed K100 billion per district policy would be channelled through the District Development Fund (DDF) and managed by local government structures, with the active participation of communities.
“No more waiting for handouts from the centre. The power and the money will be in the hands of the people,” said Kabambe.
He explained that the increased funding would allow councils to implement projects based on local priorities rather than political interests, covering areas such as education, health, agriculture, water and sanitation, transport, and trade.
The economist framed the 2025 elections as a choice between ‘business as usual’ and ‘real change’ urging Malawians to support UTM’s vision of decentralisation that delivers tangible results.