Government Slashes VP’s UK Trip Delegation to Six, Budget to K168 Million After Public Outcry

LILONGWE, Malawi — The government announced Wednesday it has dramatically scaled back Vice President Jane Ansah’s controversial UK trip, reducing the delegation from 15 to six people and cutting the budget from nearly K2 billion to K168 million following intense public backlash, writes Winston Mwale.

The announcement by Information Minister Shadric Namalomba came hours after the Vice President’s office flip-flopped in trying to explain the authenticity of leaked documents showing the original 15-person delegation and K1.96 billion price tag for what officials described as a private visit to attend Ansah’s husband’s 80th birthday celebration.

“Under normal circumstances, the trip would cost MK294,719,200.00,” Namalomba said in the government statement.

“However, considering the prevailing economic situation and the austerity measures announced by His Excellency President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika in October this year, the cost was substantially reduced to align with the fiscal principles.”

The revised budget of K168,028,400 represents a more than 91% reduction from the leaked K1.96 billion figure that sparked outrage across the country.

The new delegation consists of the vice president and five accompanying officers, down from the original 15-person entourage that included two accountants, four security personnel, three assistants, a medical officer, protocol officers and a “special guest.”

The government statement made no mention of the K86 million warm clothes allowance that had become a lightning rod for criticism, nor did it provide a breakdown of the revised budget.

From denial to damage control

The dramatic reversal caps a tumultuous 48 hours that saw the Vice President’s office rumbling over the authenticity of leaked budget documents.

On Tuesday, the Vice President’s office issued a statement calling circulating budget documents “fake and misleading” and insisting they “did not originate from any Government institution.”

The issue triggered fierce condemnation from the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, which accused the administration of “hypocrisy at the highest level” for demanding austerity from citizens while exempting senior leaders.

“While Malawians are continuously urged to tighten their belts, endure hardship, and accept reduced public services in the name of fiscal discipline, senior political leaders appear to exempt themselves from these very principles,” HRDC said in a blistering Tuesday statement.

The coalition had called the original K2 billion budget “a betrayal of public trust” at a time when Malawi faces severe economic hardship, drug shortages in hospitals and struggling public schools.

Austerity—after outcry

Namalomba’s statement emphasised the administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility.

“His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s administration remains dedicated to the principles of prudent financial management and responsible use of public resources in all official activities,” the statement said.

The government claimed the reduced budget demonstrates compliance with austerity measures Mutharika announced in October, though critics noted the cuts came only after leaked documents sparked public fury.

HRDC had specifically called for delegation sizes to be capped and demanded that a maximum of six people would be sufficient for a private visit—a recommendation the government appears to have adopted following the controversy.

The coalition also demanded immediate public disclosure of full costs, detailed justification for accompanying officials, and parliamentary oversight of all executive travel since austerity measures were declared.

Questions remain

The government statement left several questions unanswered, including who will comprise the reduced six-person delegation, what the K168 million budget covers specifically, and why officials initially budgeted K2 billion if austerity principles were already in effect.

Broader context

The controversy comes as Malawi implements a K209 billion Lean Season Food Insecurity Response Programme to address widespread hunger following a difficult farming season.

The government has secured K128 billion, leaving a funding gap of K81 billion.

HRDC had noted the original K2 billion budget for a private birthday celebration could have filled a significant portion of that gap or funded rural health clinics, teachers’ salaries or thousands of scholarships for vulnerable students.

The coalition also placed the trip within what it called “a worrying pattern” of extravagant spending, citing President Mutharika’s recent private visit to South Africa that reportedly involved use of a private jet and state resources.

“HRDC is deeply concerned that the normalization of private jet travel and excessive entourages reflects a deeply entrenched culture of entitlement within the political elite,” the group said.

The organization said it would “continue to hold those in power accountable and will not hesitate to mobilize civic pressure wherever public resources are abused under the guise of private engagements.”

Trip proceeds as planned

Despite the controversy, Vice President Ansah is scheduled to depart Friday as originally planned for the two-week visit from Dec. 26 to Jan. 10.

The government statement described the visit as enabling Ansah “to attend and celebrate the 80th birthday of her husband, Bishop Dr. Jane Ansah, SC (Retired),” while noting “during the course of her visit, Her Honour will continue to execute official duties as required.”

Whether the scaled-back arrangements will satisfy critics remains to be seen.

HRDC had called the episode a test case for accountability in Malawi’s democracy—whether citizens can effectively challenge what they view as abuse of public resources by those in power.

For now, the government appears to have heard that message, slashing the delegation and budget in response to public outrage.

But questions linger about why such measures were necessary in the first place if austerity principles were truly guiding official decision-making from the start.