President Lazarus Chakwera has pledged to more than double the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), raising it from 220 million to 500 million kwacha, in a move designed to fast-track infrastructure projects and sharpen his development agenda ahead of next month’s elections.
Speaking during a whistle-stop rally at Ntchisi Boma on Tuesday, Chakwera told cheering supporters that the fund is the lifeline of local development and a guarantee that communities will see more schools, clinics, roads, and clean water.
“We are committed to increasing the Constituency Development Fund so that every community benefits directly,” he said. “By doing this, we accelerate projects that change people’s lives for the better.”
The announcement electrified the Ntchisi crowd, adding fresh momentum to a campaign already marked by massive turnouts across the country. Political analysts note that Chakwera’s rallies, from the capital Lilongwe to rural trading centres, have drawn huge numbers—suggesting a tide of support that the opposition may find difficult to match.
Chakwera urged people in Ntchisi to vote for him and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) parliamentary candidate, promising that development would be secured if voters “walk together with the government of progress.”
Local MP Olipa Chimangeni thanked the president for what she described as “visible and life-changing” infrastructure projects but pressed for more investment in maize distribution to fight food shortages. “We are grateful for the roads and schools, but we also need urgent maize support to help farmers and feed families,” she said.
Analysts say Chakwera’s promise to double the CDF is not only an economic pledge but also a political masterstroke—an unmistakable signal that the president is positioning himself as the man with both the vision and the stamina to deliver, while his rivals remain fragmented and uncertain.
With less than a month to polling day, the message from Ntchisi was clear: Chakwera is pressing forward with a high-energy campaign, his speeches heavy with promises, his rallies swelling with supporters. For the opposition, the shadow is lengthening—like a match already tipping towards one side before the whistle has even blown.
