Tension is building over delays to rehabilitate the M1, the country’s main transport corridor with some civil society organisations plotting its closure to force action while project consultants are lamenting delayed funding.

Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango has described as ‘saboteurs’ those planning to close the Chiweta-Karonga section of the M1 apparently to force the governmentto start rehabilitation works.

A tanker passes through Chiweta in
this file photograph. | Nation

Malawi Government in July 2022 launched rehabilitation works for the M1 extending over 301 kilometres (km) from Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) Turn-off in Lilongwe to Chiweta in Rumphi divided into four lots allocated to different contractors.

However, it has emerged that the section between Chiweta and Karonga is equally in bad shape.

The situation has drawn calls from stakeholders, including traditional leaders and CSOs to demand urgent action to make the road passable and safe being the main corridor for imports and exports through Dar-es-Salaam Port in Tanzania.

But reacting to calls to block the Chiweta-Karonga section on July 1 as advanced by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), Mhango said the M1 is a national road which does not belong to the people of Rumphi or Karonga and implored the police to decisively deal with any detractors.

He said the era of lawlessness is gone and that the Democratic Progressive Party administration wants to restore discipline.

Said Mhango: “You make a mistake, you’re gone. If any citizen wants to take a chance, the police have instructions to deal with any mischief decisively. We want the police to reclaim their space in security. People must respect the rule of law. If one individual think they are bigger, let them try. Don’t gamble, don’t take risks.

“There have been lots of issues on the section from Kacheche to Chiweta where Chico [the contractor] is having problems with the community. I have told the citizens that the honeymoon is over. When a development comes, people need to take ownership.”

The minister was speaking in Karonga on Wednesday during a meeting with Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga and Chitipa.

Roads Authority (RA) director of maintenance Engineer Flora Hauya projected the Chiweta-Karonga section to be finalised within the stipulated two years subject to uninterrupted funding.

In his response to the minister’s remarks, Kyungu said he was also against HRDC’s intended actions, saying previous demonstrations organised by the same grouping were most devastating to Karonga.

But the chief warned Mhango and other politicians, stressing the need for truth and transparency during communication with both the President and the public.

In a statement dated June 25 2026, HRDC chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa called for meaningful and measurable action on rehabilitation of the Karonga-Chiweta section, saying Malawians are fed up with unfulfilled promises from government over the years.

Recently, RA expressed optimism that procurement processes for contractors to rehabilitate the 105-kilometre Chiweta–Karonga section of M1 will be completed and that works will start this year.

The authority has since called for international competitive bidding from contractors that can finish work within 24 months amid growing concerns over the poor condition of the road.

In a related development, consulting engineers on the 301km M1 Road Rehabilitation Project from KIA junction to Chiweta have warned that persistent funding gaps could force the deferment or cancellation of planned works along sections of the corridor.

RSK Group team leader Paul Rushton told Mhango during an inspection of Lot 1 and Lot 2 of the European Union (EU)-funded project that the project was nearing the limits of its original financing package with about €130 million of the initial €134 million already certified.

He said the project faces an estimated funding gap of €57 million due to additional works introduced after the design phase, including climbing lanes, culvert replacements, extra earthworks and a proposed new bridge crossing.

Rushton said the funding delays have affected several components that may be deferred, including a 38km section between Chatoloma in Kasungu and Jenda in Mzimba on Lot 2, street lighting in trading centres and selected road safety works.

“We’ve had these troublesome six months of payments, which will continue until the Government of Malawi finds and pays the €20 million. After that, we should access the €56 million from the EU and EIB [European Investment Bank] and return to normal payment schedules,” he said.

Responding to the concerns on Wednesday, Mhango acknowledged challenges on Lot 1, where the contractor suspended work for about four months because of delayed payments.

“The contractor had stopped work and is only coming back next Wednesday. The good thing is that the money issue has been resolved, payments have been made, and they are returning to the site,” he said.

Mhango stressed the importance of continued engagement between government and contractors to prevent disputes from disrupting implementation.

On Lot 2, he said progress remained relatively stable despite earlier threats of suspension and that government had directed the contractor, Mota-Engil Malawi, to prioritise reconstruction of Mpasadzi Bridge in Kasungu before the next rainy season.

Hauya confirmed that contractors had resumed work following the settlement of outstanding payments.

But she said progress levels remained largely unchanged because of earlier suspensions, with Lot 1 recording 75km out of 102km completed and Lot 2 reaching 36km of 85km.

Hauya said consultants project substantial completion of the rehabilitation works by mid-next year, provided financing and implementation conditions remain stable.

China Jiangxi International is working on the 102km long Lot 1 from KIA junction to Kasungu Boma while Mota-Engil is handling 85.5km Lot 2 from Kasungu Boma to Jenda in Mzimba. The 46.5km Lot 3 from Jenda to Mzimba Boma junction is being undertaken by Unik Construction Engineering while 66.5km Lot 4 from Kacheche to Chiweta is handled by China Henan International Company Limited.

In Lot 4, China Henan International Corporation (Chico) Group Company Limited has reported facing significant setbacks from surrounding communities who have been blocking the contractor by demanding compensation for damage to their property allegedly occasioned by the project.

In November 2019, the Malawi Government and the EU signed a financial agreement for 139 million euro as contribution towards the rehabilitation of the M1. Of the amount, 95.5 million euro was a loan from EIB and 43.1 million euro was a grant from the EU.

The rehabilitation of the M1 is a focus of the EU’s global gateway strategy for infrastructure development in Africa.

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