By Staff Reporter
The Japanese Ambassador to Malawi, Mr. Oya, has dropped a political bombshell, revealing that he flatly refused to be used by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) for election campaigning, despite repeated pressure from government officials at the time.
Speaking to Malawi News, a publication of the Daily Times, Ambassador Oya said the then MCP-led administration persistently pushed him to appear at political events and premature project openings, a move he rejected to protect the integrity of Japan’s development support.
“I told government officials that Lilongwe Bridge could not be opened because it was not finished. I do not want to drag Japanese development into politics. When it is complete, that is when it will be opened,” said Oya.
The ambassador’s remarks confirm long-standing public concerns that the MCP government politicised unfinished development projects for political mileage ahead of elections.
At the height of the controversy, President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera presided over the opening of several projects that were still incomplete, including Mwanza Stadium, the Chilima Highway, Zomba Stadium, and the Nsanje Inland Port.
Critics say the revelations expose a troubling pattern of governance, where optics and political survival were allegedly placed above professionalism, accountability, and value for money.
Governance analysts argue that foreign-funded projects are bound by strict standards and should never be rushed for political convenience, warning that such actions damage Malawi’s credibility with development partners.
The MCP has not yet responded to the ambassador’s claims.
However, the disclosure by a sitting foreign envoy is already being described as one of the strongest indictments yet of alleged political interference in development projects—raising fresh questions about ethics, transparency, and respect for international partners in Malawi’s public administration.
