The Malawi Coalition of Kabaza Associations (Macokasa) says it plans to change motorcycle taxi (Kabaza) operating model towards cooperatives to decentralise compliance oversight and improve coordination between the industry and stakeholders.
Macokasa chairperson Moses Mwalabu, who visited Rwanda last week in a learning trip, said their counterparts in the east African country have thrived through this model as they became organised, business-oriented and attracted trust from lending institutions.
The trip to Rwanda was meant to expose the local industry, which continues to grapple with a high rate of road accidents and lack of organisation, to road safety regulations compliance, and business management, among other best practices.
According to Mwalabu, when motorcycle taxi operators work with government through cooperatives, kabaza stops being a ‘death trap’ and becomes a dignified, regulated profession with full compliance to issues like mandatory helmets, licensing before operation, passenger limit, among other regulations.
“We will organise our operators into district-based cooperatives like Rwanda did, so Macokasa can speak with one voice and access support. Secondly, we will start awareness campaigns on safety rules, helmets, licenses and road signs because knowledge saves lives.
“We will also push for ownership through bank loans and duty-free motorcycle parts, so that operators stop the ‘rental slavery’ model and own their bikes. Rwanda proved it’s possible. We can make kabaza a solution to unemployment and mobility, not a problem,” he said.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri whose ministry supported the trip, described the intervention as necessary in view of the growing number of kabaza-related road accidents saying expectations are that Macokasa will use the lessons to improve safety standards and professionalism in the local industry.
“The situation has been alarming. We need to restore order among kabaza operators. Imagine Kamuzu Central Hospital having to establish a special ward for motorcycle accident victims,” he said, adding that the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded Mwalabu’s trip.
Between March and June 2025, there was a compliance window for kabaza operators to register their motorcycles but only 12 000 out of the projected two million had registered as of July, prompting extension of the window to December 2025.
The kabaza operators were paying K56 000 for zero to 100CC motorcycles while those with engines between 101CC and 250CC, paid K77 000.
During the 2026/27 budget presentation, Minister of Finance Economic Planning and Decentralisation Joseph Mwanamvekha extended the moratorium for six months effective April 1 2026.
After the closure of the compliance window, operators will be required to pay old registration fees hovering around K200 000.
A fortnight ago, the Malawi Police Service trained 63 Macokasa leaders to strengthen collaboration with operators and enhance efforts to curb motorcycle-related road accidents especially in main cities.
Police statistics show that 814 accidents involving kabaza operators were recorded in 2025, resulting in 162 deaths and 652 injuries. The figures represent an increase from 727 accidents in 2024, which claimed 146 lives and left 581 people injured.
Data from Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery indicate that the facility treats more than 2 000 motorcycle accident patients annually and performs about 300 surgeries each month, with treatment for a single bone fracture costing about K5 million.
