Malawi’s Minister of Lands, Chimwemwe Chipungu, has told Parliament that government remains committed to completing stalled housing projects for security agencies once funding becomes available, amid concerns over delays affecting police and other services.
The minister was responding to a question from the Member of Parliament for Rumphi West, Yona Dada Wiza Mkandawire, who sought clarity on whether government intended to resume construction of the Hewe Police Staff Houses and Kawere Staff Houses projects, which stalled in 2025, or whether they had been abandoned altogether.
Chipungu told the House that the projects form part of a broader national programme to build 10,000 houses for security personnel across the country.
The scheme includes 4,000 houses for the Malawi Defence Force, 4,000 for the Malawi Police Service, 1,000 for the Immigration Department and 1,000 for the Malawi Prison Service.
He said progress on some sites had slowed because of financial constraints, including a backlog of payments owed to contractors.
“Backlog of unpaid contractors leads to unfinished houses, and it’s not wise to start a project and leave them at a stage or place of no completion,” he said.
The minister assured MPs that work would resume once resources were secured, adding that the housing programme was being rolled out across all constituencies to improve accommodation for security personnel and strengthen service delivery.
Chipungu also addressed separate concerns raised by legislators representing Zomba Malosa and Mwanza West on housing and development matters, reaffirming what he described as his ministry’s commitment to providing decent and affordable housing for Malawians.
