Capital City, Capital Standards
“UTM’s economy-first approach will reimagine Lilongwe into a productive, inclusive, and globally competitive capital.”
— Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, UTM Presidential Candidate 2025
Context & Challenges
Lilongwe is Malawi’s political and administrative heart—but it must also become its economic engine. As the seat of government, diplomatic missions, and home to many corporate headquarters, Lilongwe should be a symbol of excellence. Yet it suffers from unplanned growth, rising urban poverty, traffic congestion, and underutilized potential in both its urban and rural zones.
Lilongwe combines urban ambition with vast agricultural land in areas like Kabudula, Malembo, Chitedze, Mpingu, Mitundu, Nambuma, and Malingunde. These areas hold the key to transforming Lilongwe into a self-sufficient, food-secure, and export-oriented capital. But they require deliberate investments in irrigation, mechanisation, and agri-value addition.
UTM’s vision is to turn Lilongwe into a capital that feels like a capital—smart, orderly, green, and economically inclusive—with Smart Villages, expanded housing, a revitalized transport network, and an empowered youth economy at its core.
UTM will allocate MK100 Billion annually (2025–2030) to finance transformational public investments in Lilongwe District—supporting housing, transport, industry, farming, health, and education.
60% of contracts will go to Lilongwe-based companies, and 30% of all jobs will be reserved for youth and women-led cooperatives.
Transparency will be ensured via public dashboards and performance audits.
Lilongwe: Malawi’s Agricultural & Food Processing Capital
Context & Challenges
Lilongwe’s outskirts are rich in farmland but face land fragmentation, poor irrigation, and weak market links. Meanwhile, the capital imports much of its food, creating high costs and missed economic opportunities.
UTM Pledges:
Investment: MWK 100 Billion
Revenue: MWK 160 Billion/year
Jobs: 17,500 (direct + indirect)
Food Processing, Light Manufacturing, and Export Powerhouse
Context & Challenges
Lilongwe houses Malawi’s largest industrial zones (Kanengo, Njewa), yet many are outdated, lack drainage, and suffer frequent blackouts. Food processing is still limited despite demand and raw material supply.
UTM Pledges:
Investment: MWK 100 Billion
Export Potential: MWK 200 Billion/year
Jobs: 4,000+ formal jobs
E-Government, Transit, Green Planning & Urban Renewal
Context & Challenges
Lilongwe lacks a proper city centre. Ministries operate in silos. Services are manual. Traffic jams and flooding are worsening.
UTM Pledges:
Investment: MWK 45 Billion
Returns: MWK 70 Billion in efficiency, investment
Jobs: 3,000+ (tech, urban systems, ICT)
A Capital Built on Reliable Roads, Air Cargo, and Drainage
Context & Challenges
Lilongwe’s roads are narrow and flood-prone. Storm drains are broken. Kamuzu International Airport handles limited cargo due to outdated handling systems and small terminals.
UTM Pledges:
Investment: MWK 250 Billion
Jobs: 3,300
Impact: Smooth movement of goods and people, reduced floods, safer roads
Roads, Air Cargo, and Drainage
Context & Challenges
Lilongwe’s roads are narr
Affordable, Dignified, and Inclusive Urban Living
Context & Challenges
Lilongwe’s housing crisis has led to uncontrolled sprawl. Civil servants and professionals struggle with rent. Low-income groups are locked out of formal housing markets.
UTM Pledges:
Investment: MWK 1 Trillion
Impact: 40,000 housed, 4,000 construction & estate jobs
Modern Healthcare and Practical, Market-Driven Skills
Context & Challenges
Kamuzu Central lacks a specialist referral wing. Youth lack vocational and digital skills. Luanar research is world-class but underfunded.
UTM Pledges:
Investment: MWK 50 Billion
Output: 2,500 new jobs, 10,000 skilled graduates annually
Culture, Sports, Media, and the Digital Arts
Context & Challenges
Lilongwe is brimming with youthful energy and artistic potential—from music and digital content creation to traditional performances like Gule Wankulu, storytelling, poetry, and dance. Yet, this potential is stifled by the absence of proper infrastructure, platforms, and policy support.
Communities such as Kawale, Falls, Area 36, Chinsapo, Area 23, and Mitundu are full of youth engaged in music, drama, sport, and digital innovation—but they lack access to recording studios, art spaces, training academies, modern sporting facilities, and funding to commercialize their talents.
Meanwhile, Malawi’s indigenous cultural heritage—including Gule Wankulu, Mganda, and Malipenga—remains undocumented, unsupported, and commercially untapped. There is no national cultural economy that transforms this heritage into jobs, media products, and tourism assets.
UTM Pledges:
UTM recognizes that creativity is not just expression—it is employment, identity, and industry. We will build a vibrant creative economy anchored in youth empowerment, cultural revival, and modern infrastructure.
Investment & Impact
Total Investment: MWK 16 Billion
Revenue Potential: MWK 25 Billion/year from events, content exports, and tourism
Jobs Created: 2,000+ (in culture, events, media, sport, and fashion)
“When youth create, they don’t just express—they earn. UTM will turn Lilongwe into a living studio, stage, and stadium.”
Context & Challenges:
Rural Lilongwe communities are rich in land and talent but cut off from digital, economic, and infrastructure systems. Many youth migrate or are underemployed.
UTM Pledges:
Investment: MWK 60 Billion
Impact: Youth retention, higher yields, tech-enabled growth
| Sector | Investment (MWK) | Jobs Created | Revenue / Impact |
| Mega Farms & Processing | MWK 100 Billion | 17,500 | MWK 160 Billion/year |
| Industrial Zones | MWK 100 Billion | 4,000 | MWK 200 Billion exports/year |
| Smart Capital City | MWK 45 Billion | 3,000 | MWK 70 Billion in productivity & investment |
| Infrastructure | MWK 250 Billion | 3,300 | Safer, connected, greener Lilongwe |
| Housing for All | MWK 1 Trillion | 4,000 | 40,000 residents housed |
| Health & Education | MWK 50 Billion | 2,500 | 10,000 skilled graduates annually |
| Creative Economy & Youth | MWK 16 Billion | 2,000 | MWK 25 Billion/year from culture & tourism |
| Smart Villages | MWK 60 Billion | 2,000 | Rural productivity, youth retention, e-agriculture |
| District Dev’t Fund (5 yrs) | MWK 500 Billion | 10,000 | Decentralized public investment & local empowerment |
| 🟩 TOTAL | MWK 2.121 Trillion | 48,300 | MWK 455+ Billion/year + long-term capital growth |
MALAWI WILL RISE – LILONGWE WILL LEAD
Vote UTM. Vote Dr. Dalitso Kabambe.
“Smart Districts. Smart Jobs. Smart Futures.”
SKC Legacy Lives On.
