Joyce Banda’s retirement home in Area 43

The house, which the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Surveys recently announced as a retirement home for former vice-president Khumbo Kachali, is in fact earmarked for Joyce Banda, Weekend Nation can reveal.

Two weeks ago, the media quoted the ministry’ Principal Secretary Stuart Ligomeka as confirming to have secured the said house for Kachali, adding “the department [of Lands and Housing] was still in consultation with the Banda family on her retirement home.”

Though government is mandated to provide retirement homes for the country’s former presidents, they are supposed to endorse the choice.

But investigations the paper conducted last week showed that the house, located in Lilongwe’s Area 43 suburb, was identified through Knight Frank, renowned property managers and estate agents.

The house in question, numbered 42-2-312, is said to belong to the Full Gospel Church Mission in the country.

According to a source who opted for anonymity, the State will be paying $1 800 (about K465 000) a month for the house.

“Actually, her [Joyce Banda] sisters Anjimire Oponyo and Cecelia Kumpukwe plus some government officials inspected the house last week. We are sure they liked it,” said the source.

But it is yet to be known when Banda, currently in Nkhata Bay, will move into the newly acquired retirement home.

As it is, government is yet to identify the house for Kachali who operates from his Mzimba home.