Blantyre Water Board leadership crisis prompts calls for presidential intervention

A leadership crisis at the Blantyre Water Board (BWB) has escalated as employees and citizens call for the removal of CEO Yeremia Chihana and Board Chairperson Stanley Chirwa. The BWB Employees Trade Union recently resolved to request that President Peter Mutharika intervene and dismiss both officials to restore stability to the utility.

The dispute involves a cycle of suspensions and reinstatements. Chihana was recently suspended for a second time in five months following allegations of misrepresentation, unauthorized appointments, and securing a K500 million overdraft without board approval. However, the High Court of Malawi has repeatedly ordered his reinstatement, allowing him to challenge the board’s decisions through judicial review.

Workers have staged protests at the BWB head office, expressing frustration that the ongoing legal and administrative standoff is crippling the institution’s ability to provide essential services. Governance analysts have warned that the continuous leadership uncertainty risks undermining the utility’s core operations.