Malawi: Roads Authority Digs in Over K587bn Road Contracts After HRDC Challenge

What the report says

Malawi’s Roads Authority has defended its award of K587.12 billion in contracts for rehabilitation work on the Chiweta-Karonga section of the M1 highway, after questions were raised by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC). According to the report published by Nyasa Times and distributed by AllAfrica, the authority said the procurement was competitive and followed the rules, rejecting any suggestion of wrongdoing.

The dispute centers on two recommended contracts. Roads Authority chief executive Joel Longwe said Unik Construction Engineering Limited was selected for Lot 1, the 53-kilometre stretch from Chiweta to Wovwe Bridge, at K326.13 billion. China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) was recommended for Lot 2, covering the 52-kilometre section from Wovwe Bridge to Karonga, at K260.99 billion.

Longwe also sought to address concerns linking CCECC to the controversial Kaunda Road project in Lilongwe, saying that the contractor involved there was a different company. He added that the authority monitors contract performance through supervision and administration, and that requests for time extensions are reviewed case by case. The broader significance of the case is the growing public scrutiny over large infrastructure awards in Malawi, where civil society groups have been pressing for greater transparency and accountability in public spending.