Tongues are wagging over the Chinese-built Jenda-Edingeni Road.
While it is now complete, it was extended by a duration of 10 months before actual completion.
The 53-kilometer stretch road, which links Jenda Trading Centre and Edingeni Trading Centre in Mzimba district, has cost the tax-payer K6.7 billion, mainly due to the unplanned extension.
According to impeccable sources within the roads sector, the project was expected to be completed in March, 2020, but it missed two deadlines before completion.
Now fingers are pointing to the efficacy of a Chinese Company, China Railway No. 5, which was engaged to construct the road, but missed key deadlines which led to the costly extension of the project.
The second phase of the road involved upgrading of a 15-km section of the road from Chindoka to Embangweni and construction of an 80-meter-long Luwasozi bridge and several drainage structures.
On one hand, the first phase was co-financed by Abu Dhabi and the government of Malawi and the second phase was expected to be wholly financed by the Malawi Government.