Minister of Information and Communications Technology Shadric Namalomba says 40 percent of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are in compliance with the Access to Information (ATI) Act, six years after the law became operational.
The minister announced the status in Lilongwe yesterday during the fourth Annual Media and Access to Information Conference (Amatic) 2026 where he called for stronger implementation of the law.
| Emmanuel Mainje
Namalomba said the low compliance rate showed that more needs to be done to ensure that public institutions meet their obligations under the ATI law.
“Access to information should not be viewed as a burden, but as a public service obligation and a cornerstone of good governance,” he said.
Namalomba said compliance should go beyond appointing information officers and urged the MDAs to ensure effective record management systems, proactive disclosure of information, updated information manuals and prompt responses to information requests.
During the conference, civil society and media organisations reported difficulties in obtaining information from public institutions.
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Michael Kaiyatsa said his organisation had made several requests for information without receiving responses.
He cited a request for a memorandum of understanding between Malawi and the United States on a health financing package, but CHRR is yet to get it from the Malawi Government. He said the organisation only accessed it through a partner in the US.
“We got it through our partner who shared it on their website. We have tried a number of times but we do not get responses,” Kaiyatsa said.
He said such experiences reflected what he described as a prevalent culture of secrecy in the public service, which undermines the principles of open government.
Media Council of Malawi chairperson Jolly Ntaba said the low compliance among public institutions was also affecting journalism, particularly when reporters seek information on critical issues.
“We have very good policies. The biggest problem that we have is implementation. Even up until now, even after the enactment of the Access to Information Act, it’s still not easy for a journalist to gain public information, more especially when it’s very critical,” he said.
Malawi Human Rights Commission director for civil and political rights Peter Chisi said public use of the ATI law had increased since it became operational in 2020.
He, however, said public awareness and institutional compliance still needed improvement.
The Media Council organised the conference in collaboration with the Malawi Human Rights Commission, CHRR and Gender and Justice Unit under the theme ‘Upholding integrity in the digital age: The role of access to information in addressing information disorder’.
