Parties in the dispute over the appointment of Chrissy Kamwachale as registrar and chief executive officer of Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi have failed to reach an agreement, it has emerged.
In separate interviews, Ministry of Health and Sanitation director of nursing and midwifery services Lucy Mkutumula, National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives in Malawi (Nonm) president Shouts Simeza and Association of Malawian Midwives (Amami) president Keith Lipato confirmed that discussions failed to take place as planned over two weeks ago.
The dialogue was part of efforts by government to resolve the legal dispute over Kamwachale’s appointment after the High Court of Malawi on May 29 2026 granted Nonm and Amami an order stopping President Peter Mutharika and Comptroller of Statutory Corporations from making the appointment.
Mkutumula said the ministry invited Amami and Nonm for talks, but the two organisations did not show up in Lilongwe.
“Ask them [Nonm and Amami] when they intend to meet us because the ball is now in their court and they know better. I cannot speak on their behalf,” she said.
But in an interview yesterday, Lipato faulted government for alleged lack of seriousness, saying there were no logistical arrangements to facilitate the attendance of the leadership of the two organisations.
He said: “As far as we know, government has not moved to vacate the injunction. But two weeks ago, the ministry reached out to both Amami and Nonm for roundtable discussions over the matter. The only challenge is that they told us to support ourselves on logistics.
“I am based in Mulanje and Simeza is based in Mzuzu. They are inviting us to talks and yet asking us to use our resources for transport and accommodation. There was simply a lack of seriousness on the part of government.”
Simeza acknowledged that a call for talks was made but it was not official as it was made through informal means.
He said since the matter is in court, the Attorney General (AG) and lawyers for Amami and Nonm also needed to first discuss before the talks involving the leadership of the two organisations.
The council’s board chairperson Angella Chiotcha downplayed concerns that the council’s operations have been affected, saying “the secretariat is functioning the way it is supposed to with John Nepiyala serving as acting registrar and CEO”.
Amami and Nonm lawyer Mauya Msuku said the injunction remains in force and they have now moved for substantive judicial review.
Section 15(1) of the Nurses and Midwives Act provides that the registrar be appointed by the council on terms approved by the Minister of Health.
Before obtaining the injunction, the two organisations issued a joint protest petition dated May 18 2026 and addressed to the Comptroller of Statutory Corporations.
