The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has attributed delays in renewing the lease for its Njewa warehouse in Lilongwe to the Malawi Government’s failure to grant the required authorisation for a new tenancy agreement.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, MEC spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa said the lease expired on 31 March 2026, but the Commission had already completed negotiations with the landlord and initiated the renewal process before the agreement lapsed.
Mwafulirwa said MEC subsequently submitted a request to the Government seeking approval to execute the new lease agreement, but is yet to receive a response.
“Accordingly, the Commission submitted a request seeking authorisation to renew the lease. To date, the Commission is yet to receive a response from the Government,” he said.
He explained that the delay has forced the Commission to remain in the warehouse as a holding-over tenant while awaiting Government approval to formalise the lease and settle outstanding rental obligations.
“The Commission is actively engaging the relevant Government authorities and the landlord with a view to resolving the outstanding administrative processes and regularising the lease arrangement as soon as possible,” Mwafulirwa added.
The statement follows reports that MEC has been served with a court order barring access to the Njewa warehouse over unpaid rent and the failure to renew the lease after its expiry.
The dispute stems from outstanding rental obligations that accumulated after the lease agreement lapsed at the end of March.
