VP’s office needs K2bn for house, motorcade

The Office of the First Vice-President says it is seeking an additional K2.42 billion to renovate the official residence in Area 12, Lilongwe and replace aging vehicles in the Second Citizen’s motorcade.

In the proposed 2026/27 National Budget, the office has been allocated K6.813 billion, but there is no provision for development projects, forcing First Vice-President Jane Ansah to operate from her personal residence in Area 3, Lilongwe,

The office’s Principal Secretary Eric Yesaya told Parliament’s Budget Cluster on Commissions, Statutory Corporations, State Entities and Public Appointments in Lilongwe on Wednesday that K820 million is needed to renovate the dilapidated Area 12 official residence while K1.6 billion is meant for a motorhome, three security vehicles and backup transport.

“The Area 12 house has long suffered from lack of maintenance. Our Buildings Department did a full assessment and confirmed that K820 million is needed,” he said.

Yesaya added that several convoy vehicles, some acquired seven years ago, frequently break down.

“We need to at least get the motorhome. It becomes worrisome when you see the Vice-President stopping on the road side, be it at a filling station or lodge, to refresh. It does not give a good picture about the office. So, we need to be supported with money for the motorhome,” he said.

In an interview yesterday, the office’s spokesperson Richard Mveriwa said Ansah currently operates from her personal house in Area 3 in Lilongwe while in Blantyre she uses the official residence, Mudi  House in Blantyre when she is in the Southern Region.

Both fallen vice-president Saulos Chilima and his successor Michael Usi did not lodge in the Area 12 residence during their tenure in the past five years. The two used the house only for some official meetings.

Committee chairperson Sylvester Ayuba James said the additional K2.4 billion being requested in the current financial year is justified, describing the Area 12 house as being in “sorry state” and noting that the vehicle fleet lacks a suitable ambulance.

But he cautioned against a blanket policy of replacing government vehicles every five years, saying properly maintained vehicles can last eight or more years.

Said James: “Government has a number of times declared that it is broke and procurement of new vehicles has become an issue to the extent that government has banned the procurement of new vehicles unless there is a special clearance and special justification. That explains why we can’t be replacing our vehicles every five years.”

Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation Joseph Mwanamvekha could not be reached for comment.

The Malawi Government is currently implementing austerity measures to cut on expenditure amid a challenging economic environment worsened by a high debt burden.