Malawi Enterprise Development Fund (Medf) has disbursed K1.13 billion or 7.5 percent of the K15 billion Constituency Development Fund (CDF)-linked loans to 2 753 youths and women in 16 districts.
Medf chief executive officer Kayisi Sadala said in an interview yesterday that disbursements are done based on beneficiary councils’ submissions.
“Disbursements are done upon the councils’ submissions and our vetting process, which takes less than a week,” he said
Under CDF, Medf is lending K100 million Youth Enterprise Loan and K100 million Women Enterprise Loan per constituency, targeting 122 132 beneficiaries from the two loan facilities across all constituencies.
Medf’s live CDF public portal showed that by close of business on Tuesday it had disbursed loans in 14 of the country’s 28 districts, comprising 62 constituencies whose youths and women started benefitting in August 14 2026.
The figures from August 14 to October 19 show that 1 550 youths and 1 203 women have so far accessed K627.5 million and K504.8 million, respectively.
Lilongwe District has the highest loan uptake of K460.4 million disbursed to its 1 120 beneficiaries while Chikwawa has the lowest distribution of K500 000 to one beneficiary.
At constituency level, Lilongwe Mpenu is top with K72.3 million to 155 beneficiaries while Mzimba South is last with K250 000 disbursed to one beneficiary.
Parliamentary Committee on Local Authorities and Rural Development chairperson Edward Chileka Banda said government should investigate the slow loan uptake.
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development spokesperson Chimwemwe Njoloma said the target constituencies bear the task to resolve the low loan uptake.
Mzuzu City North legislator Frasco Mkandawire (Malawi Congress Party) decried low loan uptake in his constituency with Medf dashboard indicating that only K16.7 million was disburse as at October 21.
Meanwhile, Youth and Society executive director Charles Kajoloweka said the current disbursement rate is insignificant.
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development alongside Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Decentralisation said in a joint statement last month that government released K15 billion in April 2026 for all women and youth loans.
