Communities of Bowe in the area of Traditional Authority Chikulamayembe in Rumphi are demanding back their money from Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), accusing the utility body for failing to connect their houses to power in 2019.

When we Speaking to the one of the villagers, Joy Chakaka Nyirenda told us ESCOM collected five thousand kwacha from each household in 6 villages as connection fee, through the Ndawala project but nothing has materialised except provision of bulbs.

In reaction to the claims ESCOM Public relations manager, Kitty Chingota has denied the allegations saying the area was connected through Malawi Rural Electrification programme-MAREP, a government project and that ESCOM charges are different from MAREP.

On a faulty transformer in the area Chingota says the institution has received reports of over 32 sites that have faulty transformers and replacement is delaying due to unavailability of stock to replace them.