Malawi’s government has set a target of June 2027 for the completion of the long-delayed Salima–Lilongwe Water Supply Project, as officials scramble to secure the remaining financing needed to bring the scheme to fruition. Roza Mbilizi, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, told parliament that the government still needs to source $200mn (K350bn) to complete construction and move the project into its commissioning phase. The project, being built by Khato Civil Engineering, is intended to supply clean water to communities across Salima, Dowa and Lilongwe districts — a region where access to reliable water infrastructure has long lagged behind demand. Phale told parliament that the hold-ups had left residents without the clean water supply the scheme was designed to deliver, raising concerns over the human cost of the delays. The project forms part of a broader push by Malawi to expand water infrastructure in the central region, where population growth and urban expansion around Lilongwe, the capital, have placed increasing strain on existing supply systems.