Mukhito backtracks after MP challenges his response

Residents of Area 24 in Lilongwe may still have to wait for improved policing infrastructure, but a tense exchange in Parliament has forced the government to revisit how it responds to their concerns.

Minister of Homeland Security Peter Mukhito on Monday apologised in Parliament after Lilongwe City Ngwenya Member of Parliament Nancy Tembo criticised his earlier response to her question on security infrastructure in Area 24, describing it as hostile.

Tembo had asked the government whether it planned to upgrade Area 24 Police Unit into a police station and construct houses for police officers serving in the area.

Responding to the question, Mukhito said the Malawi Police Service follows an established progression from a police unit to a police post before it can become a police station.

He said Area 24 does not currently qualify for direct elevation to a police station but assured the House that a technical assessment would determine whether it meets the requirements for an upgrade to a police post.

On police housing, the minister said the government had registered the request for Area 24 but explained that police accommodation is being addressed through a national programme based on available resources and priority needs.

In her supplementary remarks, Tembo thanked the minister for responding but said she found his tone hostile, noting that similar requests for police housing from other constituencies had previously received positive responses.

She urged Mukhito to reconsider his position, arguing that Area 24 experiences high levels of crime and that officers stationed there are overstretched. Tembo said crime statistics from the area should justify prioritising the police unit for an upgrade to a police post if a police station is not yet feasible.

Responding to the concerns, Mukhito apologised to the House, saying he had not intended to come across as hostile.

“Let me apologise if indeed my response sounded hostile. I was simply explaining the procedure because the request was for a police station, yet there is a progression from a police unit to a police post before becoming a police station,” said Mukhito.

The minister reiterated that Area 24 could still be considered for an upgrade to a police post if it satisfies the required assessment criteria.

He also clarified that the construction of police houses falls under the Ministry of Lands, saying the responsibility does not lie with the Ministry of Homeland Security.