Spare a thought for Limbika Khwawa, a 12-year-old boy with partial blindness at Matundu Primary School’s resource Centre for learners with visual impairment in Nsanje.
The Standard Five learner still stumbles in the dark, groping for safe footsteps, as the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (Marep) vanished before delivering the promised lights to his school and villages nearby.
“Light helps me see the way. Without electricity, we bump into each other and crash into trees and other objects,” he says.
Their security guard sometimes lends them his torch to prevent injuries, says the boy.
Limbika’s dilemma shines a light on how Marep frustrates its target population—rural communities that are home to at least four in five Malawians, according to the 2018 census.
The findings revealed that Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) had connected only four percent of rural households since 1980 when it launched Marep.
This represents a rural electrification rate of one percent per decade despite the National Energy Policy target to connect at least 70 percent of the population by 2030, the deadline for the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to end poverty and inequality.
Race to 2030
At its snail’s-pace, Marep would take over 990 years to achieve SDG 7: affordable, clean energy for all.
Last September, Marep decided to connect Matundu and the surrounding villages to the national grid for improved lighting, business growth and quality education.
“They promised to connect about 200 households, out of which 136 paid connection fees. Today, only 63 got connected and 73 are still waiting for meters,” says Chimombo Area Development Committee (ADC) chairperson Falamenga Chimombo.
Two poles without wires—one in front of Limbika’s hostel and another in the bush behind—proclaim a promise not delivered.
The Marep contractor vacated the area before electricity reached the target population, locals say.
Matundu headteacher Samson Ngandu unpacked the raw deal: “The first survey showed that electricity would reach our school, but the team later claimed that the wires were depleted. Later, they asked us to buy some for power lines to reach staff houses and the resource centre, but free primary schools don’t make money.
“Till today, the nearest pole stands in front of the resource centre where 15 children live and the partially blind constantly get injured in the dark. Most teachers shun our school and six have asked for transfers since 2020.”
Some of the remaining teachers have bought solar lighting systems to harness the Shire Valley’s sweltering sunshine.
“Solar energy keeps us going amid the Marep suspense,” says Martha Matola Chandida.
The mother of four uses solar energy for lighting, powering television and recharging mobile phones at K300 each.
“I make K12 000 on a good day, meaning we serve up to 40 neighbours daily,” says the teacher’s wife.
This gives a glimpse of the unmet need for rural electrification, funded by taxpayers, international donors, fuel buyers and urban power users.
Precious Mahaya arrived from Blantyre in 2022, swapping city lights for rural life.
“It was a huge dilemma,” he says. “I sold my home theatre, TV and refrigerator knowing they would be useless here. Without reliable home lighting, cooling and home entertainment, I’m only happy to have a job, unlike a majority of the youth.”
The rural electrification initiative got underway two weeks before the September 16 2025 General Election.
“It was all politics, a campaign tool,” says Mary Goche.
She had her four houses electrified, but all tenants fled in February as prepaid meters kept rejecting electricity tokens.
“We lost monthly income and neither phone calls nor visits to Escom offices at Bangula, almost 50km away, helped fix the faults urgently. We are still in the dark,” she says.
Escom customer service charter requires its staff to fix meter faults within 48 hours, acknowledge all complaints within five working days and resolve them within 20 days.
The contractor’s sudden pullout, defective meters and Escom’s unresponsiveness have put Marep under scrutiny.
A citizen-led social accountability initiative by Nsanje Civil Society Organisation, with funding from the Norwegian Church Aid and DanChurchAid through the Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre, tracks rural electrification milestones in Nsanje.
‘Hope was short-lived’
The Nation last week asked Escom to exercise its right to reply, but received no response.
The ADC chairperson states: “Marep rekindled hope that our children would study beyond sunset like their peers in towns. We saw them doing well in national examinations, businesses growing, women waving byes to long walks to maize mills and the youth opening barbershops and other businesses that thrive on electricity.
“But the joy was short-lived. An inquiry by our ADC and community social accountability committee revealed corrupt practices, negligence and retrogressive politics.”
Chimombo asks authorities to connect the remaining households and fix the faults.
And the boy with partial blindness asks: “How long will it take for Marep to connect my school and resource centre?”
Concerned villager Yohane Maseya hopes Marep will not return in September 2030 when voters go to the polls again.
“Marep carries a huge promise for the rural majority, but it only bounces back when presidents and ministers visit rural areas looking for votes without caring whether we are getting a fair deal.”
