Africa-Press – Malawi. President Peter Mutharika has returned to and fully occupied Kamuzu Palace nearly three months after the State Residences were publicly declared uninhabitable — a development that has reignited fierce scrutiny over government transparency, public spending and accountability at the highest level.
Mutharika, sworn into office in October, initially operated from private residences after images of severe disrepair at Kamuzu Palace flooded social media, triggering public outrage and official claims that the residence could not safely house a sitting president. Yet, without any public accounting of what was fixed, how much it cost or who authorised the works, the President has now quietly resumed full occupancy of the palace in Lilongwe.
Following his return from South Africa last week, Mutharika first moved into Sanjika Palace before returning to Kamuzu Palace on Friday, where he has since resumed official duties.
Presidential Press Secretary Cathy Maulidi said only the “main house” was prioritised for repairs to make it habitable, while comprehensive rehabilitation has been deferred due to what she described as limited government resources.
“We prioritised the main residence for His Excellency’s occupancy, focusing on essential repairs to make it habitable. Full maintenance will happen when funds are available,” Maulidi said.
However, she declined to disclose the cost of the repairs or the scope of the works undertaken, saying an official report would be released “soon” — a response governance analysts say has become a familiar tactic to deflect scrutiny rather than provide answers.
For civil society and governance experts, the President’s return without disclosure is not a logistical update, but a serious accountability red flag.
National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Kondowe said while routine maintenance after a change of presidency is normal, secrecy around public expenditure is not.
“Maintenance at Kamuzu Palace is expected. What is not acceptable is silence on what was done and how much it cost. Transparency is not optional, especially after public assurances of openness,” Kondowe said.
Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (CSAT) executive director Willy Kambwandira went further, describing the lack of disclosure as an insult to Malawians grappling with rising taxes, austerity measures and a cost-of-living crisis.
“Transparency is not a favour to Malawians; it is a constitutional obligation. The secrecy around State House expenditure is not just poor governance — it is insulting,” Kambwandira said.
He warned that such opacity normalises abuse of public funds.
“This is exactly how waste and abuse are entrenched in plain sight. When State Residences fail to account for maintenance expenses, it signals a deeply rooted culture of secrecy and contempt for public accountability,” he said.
The demands for answers come against a backdrop of staggering expenditure.
In the 2025/2026 Mid-Year Budget Statement, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation Joseph Mwanamvekha revealed that State Residences had already spent the entire K67 billion allocated for the financial year — plus an additional K1.5 billion — within just six months, bringing total expenditure to about K69 billion.
During the same budget review, Parliament approved an extra K22 billion, pushing total State Residences funding to approximately K89 billion for the 2025/2026 fiscal year.
Analysts question how such massive allocations can coexist with claims of “limited resources” when asked to explain repairs at Kamuzu Palace.
“If nearly K90 billion is available in one year, why can’t government account for what was spent on basic maintenance?” asked one governance analyst. “The numbers simply do not add up.”
The controversy traces back to October, when images showing broken infrastructure, water damage and general neglect at Kamuzu Palace circulated widely online, forcing the new administration to concede the residence was uninhabitable.
At the time, the then-ruling Malawi Congress Party dismissed the images as political propaganda. Yet the President’s delayed occupation, followed by undisclosed repairs and a sudden return, has only deepened public suspicion.
For analysts, the issue is no longer about the condition of Kamuzu Palace, but about whether the new administration is serious about breaking from a legacy of secrecy around State House finances.
“The presidency symbolises authority and trust,” said Kambwandira. “When it operates behind a veil of secrecy, it erodes both.”
As President Mutharika settles back into Kamuzu Palace, pressure is mounting for a full, itemised public report detailing what was repaired, how procurement was handled and exactly how much taxpayers paid — not at some undefined future date, but now.
Anything less, analysts warn, risks turning promises of transparency into hollow rhetoric and reinforcing the very culture of unaccountable governance Malawians say they are tired of.
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