Firm Owned By Cabinet Office PS Fails to Construct Maternity Annex After Nine Years

A firm owned by Cabinet Office permanent secretary Stardy Mwale has failed to complete construction on the maternity annex of Kabushi Clinic in Ndola nine years after it was first contracted. 

Mr Mwale’s frim, Stardy Construction, was awarded the K1.6 million contract back in 2013, with the project scheduled to take 18 months. 9 years later, however, the maternity unit remains unfinished. 

Official records from the Ndola District Medical Office show that Mr Mwale’s firm has already been paid in full for the incomplete work.

Mr Mwale was dismissed from his position as permanent secretary yesterday as part of a government-wide reshuffle. He has been replaced by former Ministry of Works PS Agnes Musunga. 

In November 2019, Mr Mwale was forced to publicly apologise to President Edgar Lungu and First Lady Esther Lungu after media reports exposed the delays to the Kabushi annex. At the time he promised that the project would be completed in a matter of days.

The continued delays were uncovered by Lusaka Minister Bowman Lusambo during a visit to the clinic over the weekend. 

Mr Lusambo expressed his deep disappointment over the project and has instructed officials from the Ministry of Health to investigate why construction was allowed to drag on for so long. 

“This is unacceptable. What we know is that the contract period was a mere 18 months but nine years later we are still discussing the same issue,” he said. 

Bowman Lusambo visiting the Kabushi Clinic