KATETE District in Eastern Province is poised to benefit significantly from the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development’s ambitious plan to develop 7,000 kilometers of rural roads across Zambia this year.
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The ministry’s Permanent Secretary for Technical Services Nicholas Phiri announced that Katete has been allocated K3.2 million specifically for the procurement of lubricants and fuel to operate its road equipment, effectively removing a long-standing excuse for poor road maintenance.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on the District Commisioner, Raphael Phiri last Friday, the PS made a strong call to the Katete Town Council, and by extension, all local authorities nationwide, to ensure that roads are constructed and maintained.
“We do not want a situation where a year elapses and no road has been done,” he stated.
“Previously the excuse was that you didn’t have money for fuel and lubricants. Now you have, you have got the building equipment, we are paying you money for lubricants and fuel. There should be absolutely no excuse why we cannot create the roads.”
Phiri emphasised the importance of close collaboration between councils, the District Commissioner’s office, traditional leaders, and ward councilors in prioritising which roads are critical for opening up access to markets and essential social and economic services.
The Permanent Secretary’s remarks came after the Katete District Commissioner (DC) highlighted the dire state of the Katete-Chanida Road, describing it as a source of worry with almost nothing happening.
However, the DC will have a reason to smile over the Katete Chanida Road as the Road Development Agency (RDA) shared yesterday that they had started working on the road.
According to RDA, Government signed a Concession Agreement with Messrs. Lutembwe Consulting Company Limited to rehabilitate the Katete-Chanida Road and build a new border post at Chanida to a One Stop Border Post (OSBP) standard using the Public Private Partnership (PPP) financing model funded through equity and debt.
“As a result, the Concessionaire proposed to begin construction on about 10 kilometres of the project highway starting from the junction of the Great East Road and the Katete-Chanida Road utilising the equity component,” RDA wrote.
“In light of the aforementioned approval, the Concessionaire has subsequently mobilised to the site and begun construction works.”
The Katete-Chanida Road is a key trade route, connecting Zambia to the Port of Beira in Mozambique and handling a significant portion of Zambia’s fuel imports and copper exports.
Kalemba July 22, 2025
