Roads Authority compensates 90% of M1 encroachers
Roads Authority (RA) has compensated almost 90 percent of all project affected persons in the rehabilitation of the M1 between Lilongwe and Rumphi.
Data dated July 2022 shows that 2 223 people have been compensated with the RA expected to spend K3.4 billion on the 301-kilometre (km) section under rehabilitation.
In an interview yesterday, RA spokesperson Portia Kajanga said almost 90 percent of all project affected persons.
She said only a few beneficiaries between Kacheche in Mzimba and Chiweta in Rumphi are yet to be compensated due to identification challenges.
Said Kajanga: “In addition to that, some of the people who have not yet been paid are those who settled in the road reserve after the cut-off date when assessments for compensation.
“Between Kacheche and Chiweta, some people whose payment was already processed, could not be identified on the ground due to various reasons including death and relocations of beneficiaries.
Others had mismatching names and identities. However, all this is being addressed.”
However, the RA spokesperson said a second assessment exercise was conducted to correct the anomalies.
“This is why works have commenced on all the four sections which currently involve establishment of sites for all operations.
“All other outstanding issues concerning compensations are expected to be cleared in about a month or 30 days’ time all things being equal,” said Kajanga.
The European Investment Bank (EIB), one of the financiers of the project, requires that all payment and compensation related to land acquisition and relocation of people be done prior to beginning of the road upgrade project.
The Resettlement Action Plan on the road project carried out in 2019 shows that the 102 km section between Lumbadzi and Kasungu has at least 1 049 affected persons who required K1.5 billion in compensation.
The 85.5 km section between Kasungu and Jenda has 749 affected sections requiring K597.8 million, while the 46.7 km section from Jenda to Mzimba Turn-off has 126 affected persons requiring K110 million.
The assessment did not include the fourth section between Kacheche and Chiweta. The three sections will cost the project K 2.2 billion in compensation.
President Lazarus Chakwera launched the road’s rehabilitation works on July 12 this year at Madisi in Dowa.
In November 2019, the Malawi Government and the European Union (EU) signed a financial agreement for 139 million euro as contribution towards the rehabilitation of the M1.
Of the amount, 95.5 million euro (about K95 billion) is a loan from EIB and 43.1 million euro (about K43 billion) a grant from the EU.
