Administrative Chaos at Blantyre Water Board Puts Residents at Risk: Government Steps In

When the government appointed Yeremiah Chihana to lead the Blantyre Water Board (BWB), the expectation was that a seasoned professional would turn around the fortunes of the struggling utility provider.

Instead, that trust backfired spectacularly. Under Chihana’s executive stewardship, BWB devolved into an administrative war zone—a site of ego-driven turf wars, governance breakdown, and operational paralysis that ultimately left thousands of Blantyre residents facing severe water insecurity.

Rather than focusing on modernizing aging pumping infrastructure, reducing non-revenue water losses, or securing dry-season reserves, Chihana’s tenure was defined by personal entitlement, administrative overreach, and open warfare with the Board of Directors, led by Chairperson Stanley Chirwa.

A Breakdown of Governance and Executive Overreach
Chihana’s management style transformed the water board into a case study of institutional dysfunction:

• Misuse of Executive Benefits & Public Assets

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• Chihana courted immediate controversy by demanding a dedicated official BWB vehicle specifically for his wife’s personal use—a blatant breach of public service frameworks and standard executive conditions of service for state-owned enterprises.

• Unsanctioned Recruitment & Payroll Loading

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• Bypassing established organizational structures, Human Resources protocols, and mandatory board approvals, Chihana unilaterally created positions and hired a personal driver and a personal assistant. This arbitrary expansion of the payroll loaded unauthorized financial liabilities onto an already cash-strapped public utility.

• Defiance of Board Oversight:

CHIHANA: In hot soup

• In an unprecedented breach of corporate governance, Chihana repeatedly demanded that his unvetted personal assistant be allowed to attend confidential board meetings.

This open defiance of explicit board directives compromised fiduciary oversight and effectively brought strategic planning to a standstill.

• Operational Neglect & Public Risk

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• While executive attention was consumed by administrative squabbles and personal demands, routine maintenance across key pumping stations suffered.

The resulting operational friction contributed to protracted water outages across major residential and commercial areas in Blantyre, exposing households and health facilities to severe public health risks.

Injunction Games and Legal Gridlock
As the institutional breakdown worsened, the BWB Board moved to suspend Chihana pending a formal disciplinary hearing. However, rather than facing the board’s inquiry, Chihana engaged in legal maneuvers, twice obtaining ex parte court injunctions to block his suspension and halt disciplinary proceedings.

This legal gridlock left BWB in state of administrative limbo: a suspended CEO fighting through the courts while the utility board remained unable to install stable, permanent leadership to address the city’s worsening water supply issues.

Government Intervention & The Road Ahead
To resolve the impasse and restore order to the essential utility, the Executive branch intervened through the Office of the Attorney General. Attorney General Frank Mbeta successfully challenged and discharged the court injunctions obtained by Chihana, clearing the legal path for the BWB Board to proceed with formal administrative and disciplinary hearings.

With the legal roadblocks removed, the Board can finally execute its oversight mandate and determine Chihana’s future at the institution.

For the residents and businesses of Blantyre, who have borne the brunt of this governance crisis, the hope is that accountability will finally bring an end to the chaos and restore basic service delivery.