LUAPULA PROVINCE PS WARNS COUNCILS OVER POOR CDF UTILISATION

 

Luapula Province Permanent Secretary PRUDENCE KANGWA has warned local authorities that fail to properly utilize the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) that Government will closely monitor and take action against erring councils.

Mrs Kangwa issued the warning on Friday during a tour and commissioning of CDF-funded projects dotted across Mwense District, where she emphasized that the increased CDF allocation is meant to deliver tangible development and transform lives at community level.

She noted that CDF currently stands at K36.1 million per constituency per year and will increase to K40 million per constituency per year in 2026, translating to about K600 million for Luapula Province’s fifteen (15) constituencies.

The Permanent Secretary expressed satisfaction with the quality, standard and equitable distribution of completed projects in Mwense and Mambilima, citing state-of-the-art health facilities, staff houses, modern ablution blocks, market shelters and water infrastructure constructed deep in rural communities.

Mrs Kangwa said the developments demonstrate President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA’s vision of taking development to all parts of the country, noting that areas such as Sepe, which were previously underserved, now have fully-fledged health facilities complete with staff accommodation, running water and water-borne sanitation.

She warned that Government will closely follow up on councils that have failed to implement CDF programmes effectively.

“When funds are released for development, they must change the lives of the people. For those local authorities that are not doing well and have not utilised CDF properly, we will be following them. We will be on them,” Mrs Kangwa said.

The Permanent Secretary further called on communities to guard CDF infrastructure jealously, stressing that Government does not want to divert 2026 CDF resources to repairs caused by vandalism, but rather to complementary projects such as schools and additional social services.

Mwense District Commissioner HAPPISTONE MWAPE commended Government for extending development to remote areas, saying communities far from the main road are now accessing quality services they had long yearned for.

Meanwhile, Mwense Town Council Chairperson STEPHEN CHIKOTA said the visible transformation taking place in Mwense is clear evidence of the impact of decentralized development, noting that youths and women have directly benefited from empowerment grants, loans and public sector recruitment.

He said the district has embraced Government programmes that promote inclusive growth, adding that the strategic use of CDF is steadily reshaping communities and improving access to social and economic opportunities across Mwense District.

By Evans Sinjela  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ZAMBIA RECORDS HIGHER PASS RATES IN 2025 NATIONAL EXAMS; NEW CURRICULUM BEGINS

Image
  Zambia’s 2025 national examinations saw improved pass rates and higher female participation, the government announced today, with results released ahead of the January school reopening.   Minister of Education Douglas Munsaka Syakalima, MP, officially disclosed the outcomes of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and Junior Secondary School Leaving Examination (JSSLE).   A total of 538,824 candidates sat the 2025 PSLE, achieving a pass rate of 71.36%. Female participation was 52.76%, and absenteeism fell to 8.26%. For the JSSLE, 285,634 candidates were examined, resulting in a 16.36% increase in certificate awards over the previous year. Minister Syakalima credited this surge to the abolition of automatic progression in favor of competency-based learning.   The 2025 JSSLE was the final session under the old academic structure. The 79,277 candidates who did not qualify for Grade 10 will instead enter Form One under the new 2023 Competency-Based ...
Read more

FRED M’MEMBE TO STAND ON PEOPLE’S PACT IN 2026.

Image
  The People's Pact has today (December 31, 2025) unveiled Socialist Party President Dr. Fred M'membe as its presidential candidate ahead of the 2026 general elections. Speaking at a press Media briefing, Socialist Party Secretary General Dr. Cosmas Musumali has also unveiled five Vice Presidents which includes Green Party President Peter Sinkamba and Robert Sichinga and Movement for Change and Equity President Kaluba Simuyemba among others. Speaking after being unveiled by the People’s Pact Dr. Fred M'membe has emphasized on the unit in the opposition highlighting that the country has continued to face challenges under the UPND government. And Green Party President Peter Sinkamba has assured victory for the pact ahead of the 2026 General elections. By Evans Sinjela
Read more

EFF STAGES A PROTEST AT FRA HQ

Image
  The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has strongly condemned the lies and deception being peddled by the Hakainde Hichilema administration regarding the seven-month delayed payment of farmers who sold their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA). EFF Leader Kasonde Mwenda says contrary to government claims, thousands of farmers across Zambia remain unpaid.  "Our party has verified this situation on the ground: farmers are sleeping outside banks, queuing in the rain, begging for their own money — money the government owes them" Mwenda lamented  He says instead of taking responsibility, the UPND government has chosen to lie to the nation. He said on Monday, January 12, the EFF staged a peaceful demonstration at the FRA Headquarters in Lusaka after confirming that FRA officials are misleading the public while farmers continue to suffer in every province of the country. He said what makes this scandal even more disturbing is that the government has already sold the maize coll...
Read more