Second Vice-President Enoch Chihana says government plans to complete the stalled Mombera University in Mzimba District and admit the first students by the end of 2027.
He said this yesterday in Mzimba during a stakeholders consultation meeting on the construction of the university project.
Chihana, accompanied by Minister of Education, Science and Technology Bright Msaka, toured the abandoned construction site of the university alongside prospective investors and partners.
He said he invited the investors such as Nico Group, Old Mutual Malawi Limited, NBS Bank plc, Ecobank Malawi, Standard Bank Malawi plc and
international investors from Egypt, China, South Africa and Zimbabwe to help government invest in the project through the public private partnership (PPP) model.
“By calling these investors it’s because we them to help us in building this university in a PPP agreement and admister first students by the end of the year 2027. Government cannot fund the project alone,” said Chihana.
He instructed contractors of the project, DEC Construction and Paramount Holdings to rework on the fence of the project soon after festive holidays.
“I am also instructing the Ministry of Education to work with the Ministry of Lands to develop a new layout in design of the whole project and have it ready by January 20th, 2026 and that will determine the actual cost of the project,” said Chihana.
In his speech, Inkosi Ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V of the Jere Ngoni said government should walk the talk in ensuring the Mombera University project is completed.
He said it was unfortunate that the project has become a ‘political gimmick’ that is only talked during the elections period, while on the ground there is nothing.
“It’s not like the people of Mzimba only are going to benefit from the project. This is a national project and it will benefit all Malawians,” said the chief.
In 2023, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said construction of the first phase of Mombera University, which was then renamed Inkosi M’mbelwa University, was set to start in October at a cost of about K30 billion with the June 2025 deadline and enrolment of the first cohort of students in September 2025. However, this did not happen.
Msaka said it was the dream of President Peter Mutharika to complete the whole project before 2030 and assured to work with all relevant stakeholders and investors to complete the project.
Nico Holdings group chief executive Vizenge Kumwenda said they are interested to invest on the project in a PPP agreement and will make a bond with the government on the type of financing.
“We will make agreement with the government to ensure all parties benefit in the process of the investment. Apart from the University itself, government wants the place to have Banks and Shopping Mall which we are very much interested in,” he said.
Mutharika recently appointed Chihana as the champion of the Mombera University construction project.
The university project, a brain child of the former president Bingu wa Mutharika, was initially launched in 2015 under the first Peter Mutharika administration, but stalled in 2018 after the construction of access roads.
The Tonse Alliance administration later allocated K5 billion in the 2023/2024 national budget to revive the project, followed by K500 million in the 2024/2025 fiscal year and K2 billion in the current 2025/2026 budget, but still there is nothing to show on the ground.
Once completed, Mombera University in Mzimba will focus on animal sciences.
