Bakuwa Returns to BWB Amid MK600 Million Audit Controversy

BLANTYRE— In a move that highlights the revolving door of controversial corporate leadership in Malawi’s public institutions, the Government has appointed veteran finance executive Henri Mathelo Bakuwa as Chief Executive Officer of the Blantyre Water Board (BWB).

However, Bakuwa’s return to the commercial capital’s utility comes under a heavy cloud of public skepticism. A figure central to a major National Audit Office (NAO) investigation involving over MK600 million in irregular bank transactions, his appointment signals that BWB may simply be swapping one managerial storm for another

The decision follows the summary dismissal of embattled CEO Yeremiah Chihana, whose brief, chaotic tenure came to an end after the board adopted damning disciplinary findings. Chihana was ousted over six formal grounds of gross misconduct, including securing an unauthorized MK500 million overdraft facility from First Capital Bank and improperly causing the arrest and detention of acting BWB directors.

Out of the BWB frying pan: Yeremiah Chihana.

Bakuwa is no stranger to BWB’s executive wing. A Chartered Accountant holding a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy from the University of Malawi, he spent over eight years inside the utility’s administration.

After joining BWB as Director of Finance in December 2010, Bakuwa was elevated to Acting CEO in September 2014 following an institutional restructuring. During his previous tenure, he managed major operational milestones, including signing the US$23.5 million Likhubula Water Supply Project contract in 2017.

He was also at the helm during BWB’s severe fiscal crisis in late 2017, issuing internal austerity measures to halt staff loans and allowances as the utility choked under MK10 billion in total debt, including an unpaid MK1.8 billion electricity bill owed to ESCOM.

While Bakuwa possesses over two decades of financial sector experience, his public record was severely tarnished during his time as Director of Finance, Administration, and Human Resources at the Malawi Gaming and Lotteries Authority (MAGLA).

In 2022, Bakuwa became a central subject of a high-profile NAO forensic audit probing over MK600 million in irregular cash flows passing through an unapproved commercial bank account at FDH Bank. Opened in June 2019 without the knowledge of the board or executive leadership, the account saw substantial cash withdrawals executed via individual cheques including MK15.8 million on 27 May 2020, MK15 million on 16 June 2020, and a MK24.7 million withdrawal drawn on cheque 0000017 in July 2020.

The scandal took a sharp political turn when Bakuwa submitted written representations to the Auditor General, claiming that MK43.4 million from the account was disbursed to politicians to secure the passage of the MAGLA Bill. He named several high-ranking figures, including then-Cabinet Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda, who vehemently denied the assertion and slapped Bakuwa with a MK300 million defamation lawsuit.

Slapped Bakuwa with a Mk 300 million lawsuit.- Richard Chimwendo Banda.

Following audit findings detailing unauthorized personal benefits and allowances, Bakuwa was placed on suspension and faced formal internal disciplinary proceedings. He resigned in November 2022 just days before his scheduled hearing. While he was never tried or convicted in a court of law, his exit left key questions unanswered in the public domain.

Bakuwa now steps back into BWB at a time when institutional credibility is severely eroded.

For the residents of Blantyre who care far less about boardroom power struggles than they do about dry taps, Bakuwa’s second coming will be judged on whether a CEO  carrying a lingering audit controversy on his head can clean up BWB’s governance and restore running water to the commercial capital.