Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mukanga grilled over K6.5 million President Guest house rehabilitation

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FILE: Works and Supply Minister Yamfwa Mukanga
FILE: Works and Supply Minister Yamfwa Mukanga

Works and Supply Minister Yamfwa Mukanga was today taken to task by opposition Members of Parliament on why government is spending K6.5 million to rehabilitate the Presidential Guest House in Kitwe.

Mafinga Member of Parliament questioned what justification is there to spend such a huge amount of money on a structure which the President will only use once he visits Kitwe, when the money could have been spent on other needy areas.

Ms Namugala wondered why K6.5 million has been allocated for the rehabilitation of the Presidential Guest House when only about K4 million has been allocated to the Ministry of Community Development,Mother and Child Health towards children.

And Chembe Member of Parliament Mwansa Mbulakulima wondered whether the Kabelenga Presidential Guest in Ndola has now been abandoned for the government to embark on the rehabilitation of the one in Kitwe.

And Katuba Member of Parliament Jonas Shakafuswa wondered how so much money was being spent on the Presidential Guest House when first republican President Kenneth Kaunda’s house cost less to construct.

And Muchinga MP Howard Kunda wondered why government could not use the money to create youth employment considering the high level of youth unemployment in the country.

But Mr Mukanga clarified that the construction of the retirement house for Dr Kaunda cost K7 million and not K4 million as claimed by Mr Shakafuswa.

Mr Mukanga further defended the cost of rehabilitating the Presidential Guest House pointing out that a number of things needed to be replaced.

He also stated that the Guest house is not only for the President but can also be used by other important guests of the President; hence the need to ensure that meets certain standards.

51 COMMENTS

    • I was about to ask which President will ever go to Kitwe or Ndola if the current can’t even get out his Lusaka Nkwazi house, just 20 meters to his office at State house.
      Why not wait when we have a president like before… touring etc.
      Now Mukanga is telling us he is renovating for other presidents. Can then Mukanga tell us how many presidents have ever been to Zambia under PF government?

    • Anway God has his own way of eliminating evil men on earth, PF will not last up to 2016, God will get remove them by any means whether death or sickness

    • All this for a man, that looked like a chameleon gasping for air when he was last seen on tv. I will earn my money the right way, show these thieves something new.

    • PF is full of non thinking and un-thankful people, how can they spend so much money on this property when the nation is failing to meet the MGs to reduce maternal mortality and infant mortality. Really, is PF anywhere near being a pro-poor government?

    • Mmembe seems to have blown his brain valves of late as result of the turning of KING COBRA into KING CABBAGE.In all his editorials of late he has been quoting the bible too much. I think its a way of trying to apologise to the Zambians for helping usher into government a rogue regime.

      Today he made me laugh by encouraging politician to restore KK’s humility in politics. I wonder when exactly Mmembe decided to say good things about KK, the man he ripped apart and helped to bring down in the 90s. I think he is trying to build bridges with all the people he wronged now that his butt has been exposed.

      To make matters worse, his favourite candidate , Kabimba has been shoved aside from the PF leadership contest. No one will protect him from the jaws of law come the next government.

    • The other angle to look at this huge misplaced amount is, isn’t that amount enough to build a brand new presidential guest house? If it is truly meant for renovating, then it is damn too much. It is as good as building a new state of the art presidential lodge! Government leaders should not be allowed to steal money in broad day light. #ArrestMukanga

  1. Priorities priorities, PF sure, is building or renovating a Presidential guest house a priority at this moment? the answer is no. Anyway, what do you expect (we Zambians) to get from this PF govt? when 85% of senior advisors are all 75 years and above? mwandini PF is a joke and a let down. It’s good that we’ve had this funny experience in the name of PF and I’m sure that next time we won’t be in a hurry to just change govt, we need change yes, but change with substance. Consider the five years of PF as the worst Zambia has and will ever have.

    China is upset…

  2. The opposition raised a very good point.I also see no plausible reason why the Kitwe house is being renovated ,when the Ndola one is still in a very good condition. Kitwe is just 30-45 minutes drive from Ndola.

    • Hello Saulosi. How is Ndobo, do you know?
      Man I miss Mr. Sata badly. We shouldn’t even be discussing Mukanga, who is among 4 ministers who do are hardworking. If Bashi Mulenga was fit and in action, that house would have been in good use, and no one would complain.

    • @Nostradamus
      hahahahahahah! i heard you travelled to brazil for that Germany -brazil…. what a match it was!

  3. Another Kabwalala. Look at the picture: Why do African ministers always look so fawning in front of their Presidents? Anyway he is only so fat because of theft

  4. mukanga should have just said: ” nomba ine imwe mulefwayafye balenjita ichipuba kuli bakateka lyonse because of this guest house, i had no choice but to repair it”.

    grow some balls ba mukanga, you should have told the president then that we dont have money to fix this guest house. mwa laalala fye mu edinburgh hotel. The money is being allocated to the needs of the many and not you the one mr.president with all due respect!!!!

  5. that bane is small money.how much did they want an old old house to cost to renovate.1kwacha? The presidency represents us.

    • @Fumbi, if the presidebt represents us, then it follows that if we are whallowing in poverty he too should whallow in poverty like every Zambia. That amount si more than enough to build a fine new guest house. Mukanga is a civil engineer and so are alot of us. Any self respecting architect and Quantity Surveyor will attest to this. That amount for renovation is inflated. Bottom line it could have been better used on some other enterprise/cause

    • Maybe this “small money” was paid for with all the savings from him drinking tap water instead of bottled water like a man of the people?

      ……once

    • It all depends of specification of works…you never know they may be fitting bullet proof windows and secure underground vip shelter.

  6. Another Kawalala. Why do African ministers look so fawning before their Presidents? The”Bwana I have done everything you asked for” face usually dissappears as soon as the President leaves. It is replaced with rage at the bootlickers’ subordinates. Anyway that chivumo just shows how much he has stolen.

  7. God will whip most of these useless Ministers.

    hhhhmmmm all tht money honestly. No wonder they were getting the Loans. ‘CAN VE PEOPLE WHO CAN STAND STURDY LIKE MANDELA’.

    The other thing is I didnt kno tht this guy is TOO SHORT shorter than Sata or maybe Sata was standing on an uphill….!!

  8. It is time the Presidency and high ranking govt officials had their own accommodation in Kitwe as (KK did inspite of UNIP govt being in control of the then ZCCM Nkana division) instead of relying on Glencore Mopani’s Nkana House, a trend started by late FTJ. It is such BEGGING/RELIANCE on businessmen/ “infestors” even for simple things like bed and breakfast that that have caused our govt system to be so compromised. Such reliance opens up officials to corruption e.g; supply contracts, employment of relatives, even simple 3 piece suits in exchange for massive NATIONAL losses like tax evasion by mining companies. For example just read what (sweet/apologetic letters) some cabinet minister in charge of resources is writing to KCM despite the rot exposed about it

    • The opposition is being penny wise BUT a pound FOOLISH. Yes we can save pennies from the President’s and high ranking govt officials accommodation costs BUT what about the national losses/cost incurred by such officials being compromised by mining companies?

  9. PF allocates 6 million kwachas to rehabilitate Sata`a Guest House (which he may not even use) and they allocate 4 million kwachas to the entire Ministry. Yeah!!!!! PF are not called retards for nothing.

  10. You call him chipuba but he is deep in your tax money enriching himself. In most developed countries stealing by a public official like Mukanga has done is considered a disgrace but i know in bemba its called ‘clever’ behaviour.

  11. This is tantamount to sabotage.Our hospitals and universitys have no bed space and yet u have the audacity of wasting the already scarce resources on this useless guest house.

  12. May we remind ourselves that this is the rebased amount – its equivalent to K6.5 billion of the old value or 650,000 pounds. That’s colossal for just a rehabilitation. I bet the actual amount spent will be much less. This is one of the easier conduits for kick backs.

  13. K6.5 million [K6.5 billion in old currency] for renovations, who approved this? Ba LT, please do us a favor, please show us a picture of this guest house. Olo nikuba, this is beyond theft, it is now economic sabotage. People involved should be arrested and tried in courts of law. We can’t burden the country with debts, only for the money to end up like this? Zambians, lets roundly condemn this and call for action against the perpetrators and save our country from senseless looting. People are now taking 5 meals per day, contrary to the demands of the body because of too much loose cash. No wonder MCS castigated his ministers for being too fat. Lets kick out these characters before we are bled white!

  14. ya kuti waseka some of de coments u wonder if some pipo think wen comenting or it is just Sangwapo.Ba @blago thats not president Satas guest house but presidential guest house meaning even the ones(presidents) who will come after sata may use that facility its for GRZ ,not for an individual.i also diagree with the coast it jst too high.

  15. How do you renovate a family guest house for $1m?? Family House renovations costing $1m?? Where on earth? Just buy him one of Oprah’s mansions…

  16. So there is a presidential guest house in each Copperbelt town? What for? Extravagance at best! This money will end up in a few peoples’ pockets, parliament should have asked to examine a breakdown of works to be carried out. Let Anna Chifungula quickly move in for audit as soon as work is completed though I believe we will most likely hear that the money fell short to complete the works! Who gets the contract will bring to light what is being engineered here! K 6m for a guest house yet we still have clinics as at Mangango and some schools still with thatch around the country!

  17. …rehabilitation..??..with K6.5m??….that amount is enough to erase down the entire existing structure and construct twin state of art structures within the premises…….
    Mukanga should have just revealed that PF needs some funding for the forth coming bye elections….

  18. For those of you who do not know the said residence, I would like to highlight on the same Presidential guest house. It was originally owned by Queen Elizabeth’s mother and by far better than,State house. An iconic structure on the banks of kafue river. When I was a kid I admired that structure. Go and see it, you will love it.

    • ..@Dobo..
      ….for Qn Elzbth’s mother..??..then it must be an 1870 structure and the more reason it needs to be pulled down for a new ‘master piece’ or reserve it as historical monument and re-site the presidential guest hse elsewhere.
      …if you were into civil or architectural engineering, you would appreciate what K6.5m can do in terms of structure/building including landscaping and access roadwork

  19. PF government is the most useless government ever. If the man is sick, he is sick, period. No hide and seek games will save Sata-n from hell. Own up and call for a presidential by-election.

  20. @ Y. Mukanga’s Dog goat
    But Mr Mukanga clarified that the construction of the retirement house for Dr Kaunda cost K7 million and not K4 million as claimed by Mr Shakafuswa.

    Theft broad day light PF. Spending so huge sums of money on one hosue for rehabilitation compared to building the house at K7m (700-6.5 = .5) How dull is Mukanga!!!!!!!! he has exposed himself that he is a robber period.

  21. Audit the entire rehabilitation project and will discover where the money went! It looks too colossal for a mere rehabilitation!!

  22. Am sure all the youths that voted for PF are to note that less money was spent on community and children…! Their top priority is to please their old ailing master. Can’t wait fo 2016……God help us.

  23. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEG,KK HAS A HOUSE BUILT FOR HIM IN NAMIBIA.
    AND HE HAS A HOUSE WHERE HES CURRENTLY STAY.THIS MAN ,HE ALWAYS PREACH DRY SERMONS:LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF!
    BUT NOW,WHERE IS LOVE FOR THIS COUNTRY?
    ONE MAN WITH SO MANY HOUSES NOMUKASHI

  24. surly that amount to a person who will be justing going there once a while some police stations have no houses even toilets, go to mongu and check for yourself the police you used on pablice order act.

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