Six years after its police unit was destroyed during the violent aftermath of Malawi’s disputed 2019 presidential election, Msundwe has regained a permanent police facility.
The old unit was among police facilities torched during the post-election demonstrations, forcing officers to withdraw from the area and leaving residents with limited access to police services.
The absence of a police presence became a growing concern for residents. In 2021, Senior Chief Kalolo told Malawi24 that thieves were attacking people in the area, with residents having nowhere nearby to report the cases.
The troubled history of Msundwe’s police unit is also linked to one of the darkest moments of the 2019 protests. On October 8 that year, police Superintendent Usumani Imedi was killed by a mob while officers were responding to road blockades along the Lilongwe-Mchinji Road.
Now, a new facility has been handed over to the Malawi Police Service, with Creck Hardware and General Suppliers investing more than K380 million in its construction under the company’s corporate social responsibility programme.
Creck Hardware Managing Director Apostle Clifford Kawinga said the project began after the Malawi Police Service presented a request for a new police unit about two years ago.
“We are extremely excited today that we have reached the end of the journey of this project,” Kawinga said, adding that the facility has 12 rooms, including eight rooms for police officers, two cells and a kitchen.
For Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga, the new facility will help restore security services to the community. “It will help us to do our job very well,” he said, describing the project as a good gesture that would improve security in Msundwe and the surrounding Kalolo area.
Senior Chief Kalolo said the return of the police would directly address the security concerns that grew during the years without a functioning unit. “This will help easing theft and disorder in this area,” he said.
The handover also comes with an appeal for residents to protect the facility from vandalism. Luhanga urged communities to work with the police instead of destroying facilities built to serve them, while Kawinga said the company expects the structure to be properly maintained and police officers to use the improved working environment to provide better services.
