Minister of information and government spokesperson, Dr. Shadric Namalomba, said the visit, scheduled to run until January 10, 2026, received formal approval from President Peter Mutharika’s administration.
The Government of Malawi has confirmed that Vice President Jane Mayemu Ansah will depart for a two-week private visit to the United Kingdom on December 26, 2025, with a five-member delegation in a trip that will cost taxpayers MK168,028,400 ($97,000).
This is despite the country’s ongoing economic crisis and state-imposed austerity measures.
In a statement released in Lilongwe, the Minister of information and government spokesperson, Dr. Shadric Namalomba, said the visit, scheduled to run until January 10, 2026, received formal approval from President Peter Mutharika’s administration.
Namalomba disclosed that while the trip’s original cost stood at MK294,719,200.00, the figure was reduced “to align with the fiscal principles” announced by President Mutharika in October, when the government unveiled austerity policies to curb public spending.
“The total approved budget for this private visit is MK168,028,400.00. This amount covers all associated costs, including international air travel and travel allowances for the delegation,” the statement reads, adding that the travel plans reflect “responsible use of public resources.”
— Malawi Government🇲🇼 (@MalawiGovt) December 24, 2025
The government insists the reduction demonstrates commitment to “prudent financial management”, even as critics argue the optics of funding a private foreign visit contradict claims of austerity and belt-tightening during a period of rising inflation and currency pressure.
The statement lists no official meetings or diplomatic engagements tied to the trip, instead confirming it is a private visit, a detail likely to fuel scrutiny and political backlash.
For further enquiries, the public was directed to contact Minister Namalomba.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Malawian government denied allegations that Vice President Jane Ansah was to spend $1.3million of public funds to attend her husband’s lavish 80th birthday celebration in the United Kingdom.
In a press statement dated December 22, 2025, and posted on Tuesday, the Office of the Vice President described documents circulating on social media and purporting to show the budget for the Vice President’s trip to the UK as “fake and misleading.”
There has been public outrage in Malawi as Ansah came under fire and intense backlash following allegations that she is travelling to the United Kingdom with a large, taxpayer-funded entourage.
The trip, estimated to cost K2.3 billion (about $1.3 million), became public knowledge on Monday morning and sparked widespread outrage on social media and among civil society groups, with critics questioning the justification for deploying state resources for what appears to be a private family event.