Member of Parliament for Kasungu East Madalitso Kazombo popularly known as Kamatcheni on the political scene, on Sunday braved the Karonga scorching heat and bumpy road and took the by-election campaign to Katili to sell the candidature of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) shadow Member of Parliament for Karonga Central Constituency Leonard Mwalwanda.
Accompanied by the party’s district chairperson Emmanuel Nkhoma and Mwalwanda, Kazombo told hundreds of people who gathered at Katili ground to hear what the aspiring candidate has in store for them that the Tonse Alliance government is committed to bringing social amenities to the people of Katili, saying it is a pity to see that after 56 years of independence people are still drinking water from unsafe sources.
Said Kazombo: “It is pathetic that the road is in bad shape. Women are dying on their way to the district hospital for delivery, this is an enemy to promotion of safe motherhood. It is pitiful to note that the health centre and the surrounding areas do not have portable water that villagers have a roster for fetching water for health workers in exchange with medical service.
“And again, the hospital does not have a maternity wing and electricity. I will report to relevant ministries so that electricity is installed, boreholes are drilled and the 15km road is rehabilitated to enhance movements because these people are also Malawians and deserve a share of government’s services.”
Kazombo further said as an interim measure, he will bring solar panels and a heavy duty battery to replace the damaged panels and donated K50, 000 to buy four iron sheets to replace the damaged iron sheets at the health facility.
He has since urged the people of Katili to vote for Mwalwanda for meaningful development to flourish, saying government will see to it that youth and women in the area also benefit from loans for small scale businesses.
Taking his turn, principal group village headman Cheyama said Kazombo’s meeting had coincided with his contemplated move to ask relevant authorities to remove his villages from the Constituency, saying the area has been sidelined in terms of development for quite long.
In an interview, Mwalwanda assured the people that once elected he will implement various projects that include placing an ambulance at Mwenilondo health centre to cater for Katili and Mwenilondo facilities and construct a free boarding facility at Mwenilondo CDSS for learners to use.
At the rally, the district chairperson Nkhoma accused ESCOM officials for being DPP sympathisers for deliberately failing to install electricity at Katili health centre and surrounding areas, saying every time relevant authorities go there they are told there is no black power.
Queried Nkhoma: “There are officers who are deliberately slowing down government’s development agenda. How can the whole ESCOM fail to secure black wire for Katili health centre for months on end?”.
However, Karonga District ESCOM station manager Robert Chiona Mkwate referred this reporter to the institution’s spokesperson Innocent Chitosi who asked for more time before commenting on the issue.
Karonga Central Constituency fell vacant few months ago following the death of Cornelius Mwalwanda and so far, Mwalwanda, UTM’s Frank Mwenifumbo, DPP’s Brigadier Smith Ngwira and Florence Shackie Nthakomwa, an independent candidate are the four Parliamentary candidates competing for the seat.
