• Mkushi is one of the districts that positively contribute to Zambia’s national food security.

By Austin Kaluba –

The Mkushi District Commissioner says he is a happy man who feels the party he represents is gaining popularity with the number of developmental projects it has implemented in the agricultural district.
Speaking from  his office, the dark, lanky man with a stately posture tabulated the projects the Patriotic Front (PF) is working on in different fields.
Spotting a field befitting  an outdoor man, Mr Luke Mwamba, a former engineer with Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), said the PF was in a hurry to bring development to Mkushi.
“We are living up to our manifesto in bringing development to Mkushi. Thus we have spread our tentacles to all areas of development like roads, health, agriculture and school,” Mr Mwamba said.
The developmental projects are welcome since Mkushi stands out as an agricultural belt of Zambia mainly due to the farm bloc where commercial farmers grow various cash crops and rear animals.
The projects will also benefit the population of small-scale farmers who mainly grow maize since their number has steadily been increasing over the past couple of years.
This development has translated into increased crop production, thereby making Mkushi one of the districts that positively contribute to Zambia’s national food security.
Mr Mwamba said the government has engaged Keren Motors Contractors to work on several roads in the districts and hopes to finish the project by August this year.
He said the project that would see 20.2 kilometers of roads tarred included government road, airport road, Shalom road, Itala road and township road.
Feeder roads in chiefdoms like Chitina, Shaibilo and Munungu are being graded.
At the time this author visited the district, workers were working on construction of a bridge across the Chibefwe River, a project that would be completed in the first week of July.
Another project will see Lunsemfwa Bridge in chief Chitina in Nkumbi ward completed at the cost of K145,000.
“The government is also working on the construction of the much-waited district hospital which is in phase two. This will see the building of a laundry and a kitchen at the health institution,’ he said.
The district commissioner said the works would also include construction of administrative offices, a pharmacy and male ward.
Authorities have also allocated K200, 000 to the completion of a health post at Chikabile health post in Nshinso ward.
The health sector would be improved in the district by building of a mortuary at Masansa clinic in Chikanda ward.
In the education sector, government will build Fibanga primary school in upper Lusemfwa ward at the cost of K72,000, 800. And completion of classrooms at Fiwila mission school in Matuka ward is on card.
Mr Mwamba also revealed that government will construct staff houses in Katuba in Mwishibemba ward at the cost of K120,000 while another school at Kasala Makanga Primary School will see the construction will be refurbished at the cost of K278,000.
“We are also constructing a modern market at Nkolonga in Chalata ward. The project will cost K150,000,” he said.
Conscious of the water levels that have gone down in the district, government is sinking and repairing boreholes in the district under the community development fund.
“Under the community development fund, all 11 wards in the district have been allocated money to sink boreholes.”
The government has also acquired 15,700 bags of D compound fertiliser and is expecting Urea, maize and groundnuts seed next month in preparation for the farming season.
Despite, this success story, Mr Mwamba said the district was faced by some challenges in maximising service delivery to the residents.
Among them the poor rains the country experienced this year which has led to poor yields.
However, he assured Mkushi residents that there will be no hunger since the office of the vice president has given assurance that there will be food in case of a shortfall.
Mr Mwamba also complained of load shedding by ZESCO though he called on residents to understand that the problem was a result of poor rainfall this year.
“We are also appealing to ZNBC to improve transmission to Mkushi since radio one and two have been off air for the past 4 months.”
He also cited the challenge of lack of accommodation for security officers in Mkushi and disclosed that the government is building houses for prison warders, police officers and Drug Enforcement Commission staff many of whom are lodging in compounds like Itala.
The district commissioner said he was happy with the cooperation from traditional leaders who are complimenting government’s effort to bring development to Mkushi.
Mr Mwamba said since the gunning down of the notorious Mailoni brothers in the newly-created district of Luano, there has been peace in the area.
The former engineer, who has worked in all 10 provinces in Zambia, said he was happy to be in Mkushi and thanked the PF government for the projects it is implementing in the district.
Mr Mwamba who went to Kalulushi primary school and David Kaunda secondary school (the latter which was then called Hodgson College) said Mkushi has developed from being a one horse town to a prosperous district with great economic promise.
Married to Evelyn Mulenga, the district commissioner called on residents to cooperate with the ruling party which he said means well to enhance the status of the district as a bread basket of Zambia.