Salima District has identified 63 rural sites for electricity connections under the Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP), with 13 new sites added to the draft plan to expand access to power.
The sites feature in the draft Rural Electrification Masterplan for 2026–2030, presented during a validation exercise in Salima on Monday.
Salima District Council Chairperson Fazili Adam welcomed the inclusion of the sites, saying the programme will help people in remote areas access electricity and support economic development.
Lipimbi-Namanda Ward Councillor Noel Kamanga said expanding electricity access could create opportunities for rural businesses to grow.
Kamanga urged authorities to prioritise the programme, saying electricity is important for business development and poverty reduction in growing communities.
However, the Ministry of Energy has acknowledged that funding constraints, foreign exchange shortages, currency instability, and material supply challenges have slowed MAREP implementation, particularly Phase 9.
James Namalima, Deputy Project Manager for the Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) project in the Ministry of Energy, said MAREP has electrified 1,686 sites across its various phases.
He said district councils submitted 4,518 candidate sites for electrification in 2022.
Namalima said the review of the Rural Electrification Masterplan began in 2022, but delays forced authorities to adjust the planning period to 2026–2030.
Meanwhile, governance expert in Salima Thomas Mwangupire has urged authorities to monitor the programme’s implementation to ensure it achieves its intended objectives.