Dowa emerges Malawi’s top council
Dowa residents could see improved services and more development projects after their district council emerged as Malawi’s best-performing local authority in the latest assessment.The council has secured the top position in the 2025/26 Local Assembly Performance Assessment (LAPA), placing it among local authorities eligible to benefit from increased development financing, and giving residents hope for...
owa residents could see improved services and more development projects after their district council emerged as Malawi’s best-performing local authority in the latest assessment.
The council has secured the top position in the 2025/26 Local Assembly Performance Assessment (LAPA), placing it among local authorities eligible to benefit from increased development financing, and giving residents hope for improved services and projects.
The council emerged as the country’s best-performing local authority after being assessed on governance, financial management, delivery of development projects, and public service provision under the annual LAPA exercise.
The 2025/26 LAPA results were announced on Friday during a ceremony held at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Dr Ben Malunga Phiri presided over the event.
Following the top ranking, Dowa District Council stands to receive about MK2.226 billion through the Performance Based Grant (PBG) programme to support the implementation of development projects in the district.
Of the expected allocation, about MK1.817 billion will come through the Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD 2.0) programme, while approximately MK408.230 million will be provided under the Regional Climate Resilience Programme (RCRP-2).
The assessment measures the performance of local councils across the country using indicators that include governance, financial management, implementation of development activities, and the quality of public service delivery.
According to the rankings, Neno District Council finished second, while Rumphi, Kasungu, and Ntchisi shared third position. Nkhotakota ranked last on the list.
The latest results highlight Dowa District Council’s performance during the 2025/26 assessment period and determine its eligibility for performance-based funding aimed at strengthening service delivery and development projects.
By: Ben Bongololo
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