Police redeploys embattled commissioners amid court case

Four of the five police commissioners who last year obtained an injunction against their redeployments have been moved into non‑active, supernumerary roles,Nation on Sundaycan reveal. The affected officers— Christopher Katani, Rhoda Manjolo, Emmanuel Soko and Chikondi Chingadza —received redeployment letters dated 3 February 2026, placing them in positions with no specific operational duties. An insider at the Malawi Police Service said supernumerary postings are normally reserved for officers who are incapacitated, ill or otherwise without substantive assignments.

National Police, however, defended the moves, saying they were driven by operational requirements. One commissioner, Barbra Mchenga Tsiga, is not on the list; sources say she had requested reassignment to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs before the latest redeployments. The four embattled commissioners received their letters during the week, all dated February 3 2026 which state that the redeployments are due to the exigencies of duty and operational requirements of the Malawi Police Service.

According to our findings, official vehicles of the four commissioners have since been withdrawn from them pending new transport arrangements and that this has already been communicated to them. Following the redeployments, Soko has been moved to Police Training School at Kanjedza in Limbe, Manjolo will remain at Central Eastern Region Headquarters while Katani and Chingadza will transfer to Police Training College in Zomba. Redeployments of the four commissioners come at a time the High Court of Malawi is yet to make its determination on the matter.

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They also come at a time when the Attorney General (AG)’s office has filed an application in the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal seeking a discharge of the injunction obtained by the five commissioners. In his application filed in the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, AG Frank Mbeta wants the injunction granted by the High Court on November 28 2025 set aside on the basis of protecting the public interest pending a final determination of the matter.

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