MRA exposed in fertilizer import scandal as court blocks Chipanga Traders and declares Agro Light sole KeenBooster distributor

The High Court Commercial Division in Blantyre has exposed what could become one of the most controversial fertilizer import disputes in recent months after a court-sanctioned settlement blocked Chipanga Traders from importing KeenBooster fertilizer and compelled the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) to stop processing rival imports of the product. The explosive settlement, filed under Commercial Case No. 55 of 2025 before Honourable Justice M.

Msungama, formally recognises Aubrey Chitimbe trading as Agro Light Trading as the sole distributor and importer of KeenBooster fertilizer in Malawi. The case dragged into court Aluleyo Peter Banda trading as Chipanga Stationery and Chipanga Traders, Albert Massawe, Keen Feeders Limited, and the Malawi Revenue Authority after Agro Light accused the defendants of attempting to facilitate the importation of KeenBooster fertilizer outside the legally recognised distribution arrangement. In a damning outcome for both MRA and Chipanga Traders, the agreed order effectively forced all parties to admit that KeenBooster fertilizer could not legally be imported into Malawi without the involvement of Agro Light Trading.

The court documents show that Chipanga Traders and its proprietor agreed that they “cannot export into Malawi or otherwise trade in KeenBooster fertilizer” without the agency of Agro Light Trading as importer and Keen Feeders Limited as exporter. Even more significantly, the settlement forced Chipanga Traders to withdraw an application for an import licence for KeenBooster fertilizer that had already been submitted to relevant authorities in Malawi. The agreement further exposes serious questions around MRA’s handling of the disputed fertilizer consignment.

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Under the court settlement, MRA agreed that it would “never process importation into Malawi of KeenBooster fertilizer” for the defendants or for any other party apart from Agro Light Trading. The wording of the order has now triggered fresh scrutiny over how rival import processes were allegedly entertained in the first place despite Agro Light’s claimed exclusive distribution rights. The scandal deepened further after court records revealed that a KeenBooster fertilizer consignment had already been intercepted and placed in MRA custody following an injunction dated June 19, 2025.

As part of the settlement, the first and second defendants were ordered to pay Agro Light Trading MK1 million within seven days. The parties also agreed to “regularise” the disputed fertilizer consignment under the supervision of MRA, raising further questions about how the shipment had advanced through import processes before the legal dispute exploded into court. The case has intensified debate around transparency, import controls, and regulatory oversight within Malawi’s fertilizer sector, especially at a time when agricultural inputs remain politically and economically sensitive. Agro Light Trading was represented by lawyer Pati Flour Maliwa of Icon & Co Legal Practitioners, while the defendants were represented by Kayikani Chakuwawa of Mlauzi Legal Solutions.

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