By Mercy Matonga:
Last month, the Roads Authority announced a $24 million project for the construction of nine bridges on the 100-kilometre Mangochi-Makanjira Road.
This is under the World Bank-funded Regional Climate Resilience Programme.
For people of Mangochi and Eastern region, the bridges project, while welcomed, opens scars of what they see as long-delayed substantive works on the badly-damaged road that’s almost impassable during rains.
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The Mangochi-Makanjira Road project has been a story of several loans that have been a source of hope to the people in the region. According to the Roads Authority, government has so far mobilized the following funding:
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- US$20 million from the Saudi Fund for Development
- US$20 million from the Opec Fund for International development
- US$9.6 million from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development
- US$20 million from the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (Badea); and
- US$20 million from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.
Apart from external loans, government also allocated K35 billion in the 2025-26 budget for support the works.
So where are the works after years of securing various loan arrangements?
Road Authority spokesperson Lawrent Kumchenga said the project required additional time to review and update the initial design to ensure it adequately addresses current engineering and project requirements.
“Pace Consulting has been carrying out these reviews since December 2025, and the exercise is nearing completion. Once the review is finalised, the Roads Authority will immediately proceed with procurement for the construction contractor,” Kumchenga said.
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He added that the initial design was completed in 2023, but some sections required further review to ensure the design adequately responds to current project requirements.
“To this end, Pace Consulting is undertaking a comprehensive design review since December 2025. The review is expected to be completed soon, after which the Roads Authority will proceed with the procurement process by inviting bids from contractors for the construction works,” Kumchenga said.
He also said physical construction is expected to commence before the end of this year, subject to the completion of the ongoing design review and procurement of the construction contractor.
A group of citizens from Makanjira, under the Makanjira Development Foundation, has been advocating for the road since 2023.
Executive Chairman of the foundation, Ousman Kennedy, said while they appreciate the government’s efforts to mobilise financing from development partners, the public has not received sufficient updates on the project’s implementation schedule, key milestones, or expected commencement and completion dates.
“The public has received limited information regarding procurement processes, implementation timelines and the sequencing of the works.
“Such information is important because this project is being implemented for the benefit of the public and is financed through public resources and development finance,” Kennedy said.
He called on the government to establish a robust accountability framework that includes regular public progress reports on both financial and physical implementation, publication of procurement and contract information in accordance with applicable laws, and effective parliamentary oversight, among other measures.
Former Member of Parliament for Mangochi North, who was also an MP for the area from 2014 to 2025, Benedicto Chambo, said that during the time he was an MP for the area, he did everything in his power to secure the project of the road.
He said construction was supposed to begin in 2024.
“The government secured funds from different partners, we did all the paperwork and by now the construction of the road should have started,” Chambo said.
Regarding the bridges project, Regional Climate Resilience Programme spokesperson, Yvonne Sundu, said contractors have been identified and governmnet officially handed over the bridges.
Contractor, Anhui Foreign Construction Group, together with design and supervision consultant Kandoli Consulting Engineers in Joint Venture with Advanced Engineering Solutions Limited from Tanzania, will work on the bridges for the next 24 months until July 2028, Sundu said.
