Construction of police houses at Embangweni stalls as officers struggle with long commutes

Construction works on five police houses at Embangweni Police Unit in Mzimba District have stalled, raising concerns among community members over delays in improving accommodation for law enforcement officers.

Malawi24 has established that the project, which was expected to ease housing challenges for police officers stationed at Embangweni, has been abandoned midway, with the contractor reportedly nowhere to be found.

Residents around Embangweni say the stalled project has negatively affected police officers, many of whom are forced to travel long distances to report for duty due to a shortage of staff houses at the station.

One community member, Emily Banda, who spoke to this publication, expressed disappointment over the delay, saying the incomplete houses have remained unattended for several months.

“This project gave us hope that police officers would finally stay closer to the station and improve security in the area. But now the construction has stopped completely,” said Banda.

Another resident, Henry Jere, said officers often face transport challenges, affecting their efficiency and response time to incidents within the community.

The five houses were expected to provide decent accommodation for officers and reduce the burden of travelling from distant areas to Embangweni Police Unit.

Efforts to obtain comments from relevant authorities and the contractor on why the project has stalled proved unsuccessful by press time.

The development has sparked calls from local residents for authorities to intervene and ensure that construction works resume in order to improve the welfare of police officers and strengthen security services in the area.