Want a police unit in your community? Build it yourselves, Mukhito tells MPs

Building police units is not the government’s responsibility, Malawi Homeland Security Minister Peter Mukhito has reiterated, saying communities and Members of Parliament should take the lead in constructing the facilities while government provides technical support and police officers.

With constituencies now controlling K5 billion each through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), Mukhito inference is that MPs and communities have the resources to construct police units while government provides officers and technical support.

Speaking after answering questions in Parliament on Friday, Mukhito said responsibility for constructing police units rests with MPs and their constituents. Once the facilities are completed, government steps in with architectural designs, technical expertise and police personnel to operate them.

“The responsibility to construct police units lies with MPs and their constituents. Government comes in with technical expertise and staffing after the facilities are completed,” he said.

Mukhito’s remarks come months after Parliament approved a massive increase in the Constituency Development Fund, raising the allocation from K220 million to K5 billion per constituency. The increase gives constituencies unprecedented resources to finance local development projects, including security infrastructure such as police units.

The minister said the arrangement is aimed at expanding access to policing by strengthening collaboration between communities and the Malawi Police Service, allowing government to focus on providing professional policing services while communities provide the infrastructure.

He also announced that the Malawi Police Service has been authorised to recruit more than 6,000 police officers to meet growing security demands and improve police visibility across the country.

According to Mukhito, the recruitment drive will significantly boost the police service’s capacity to respond to crime, while newly constructed police units will provide additional operational bases for officers deployed to communities.

His remarks also come at a time when Malawi has been grappling with a wave of robberies that has left many communities in terror and demanding a stronger police presence. Mukhito said constituencies now have the means to construct police units through the K5 billion Constituency Development Fund (CDF), while government will provide officers and technical support.

The minister said the partnership between government and local communities is key to ensuring that more Malawians have access to police services, particularly in areas that currently lack nearby police facilities. He urged communities to continue working closely with law enforcement agencies to help prevent crime and maintain peace and security nationwide.