EGENCO CEO Liabunya, company secretary on forced leave pending forensic investigations on company operations

* Liabunya joined EGENCO on January 1, 2017 and is hailed as a distinguished engineer

* With close to three decades of engineering experience of which over 20 has been in the electricity industry

* Director of operations, Dr. Maxon Chitawo has been appointed in acting capacity

By Duncan Mlanjira

William Liabunya, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for national parastatal, Electricity Generation Company Limited — together with director of corporate services & company secretary, Videlia Mluwira, have been sent on forced leave pending forensic investigations instituted by Government on the EGENCO’s operations.

A general notice from acting director of human resources management, Alexander Dzimba to staff members, dated October 6 — which we have in possession — says the company’s director of operations, Dr. Maxon Chitawo has been appointed as the responsible officer for the office of the chief executive with immediate effect.

Information on EGENCO website touts Liabunya, who joined the company on January 1, 2017, as a distinguished engineer with close to three decades of engineering experience of which over 20 years has been in the electricity industry.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Science in Business Management.

The CEO leads an Executive Committee composed of five divisional directors and is responsible for strategic planning and ensuring the execution of the long term strategy, and representing management on the board.

Through the post, Liabunya is also accountable for the company’s actions and ensures the security of its resources.

Liabunya was hero in May following the restoration Kachipira Hydro Power Station, whose 129.4MW it generates was lost due to devastation from the 2022 Cyclone Ana.

Restoration efforts were rolled out immediately that included redesigning a storm-resilient infrastructure as long term solution and constructing a primary cofferdam to re-divert Shire River water back to the intake to restore power generation.

Liabunya glowed with pride when he briefed the media on a site visit as machines were rolling and was man of the moment nationwide as challenges of load shedding ended — but of late, they had been sporadic intermittent power supply without any explanation.

In June 2022, Africa Outlook Magazine hailed EGENCO as “revolutionising Malawi’s energy sector” and the publication’s journalists, Ed Buds and Joshua Mann reported that “EGENCO is making huge strides towards a better, more sustainable future in Malawi’s energy sector”.

“The company is currently playing a leading role in expanding the nation’s electricity generation capacity, through a range of exciting and ambitious projects.”

The two took a detailed look at EGENCO’s achieving sustainability, key priorities for 2022, and overcoming the many challenges faced in the energy sector such as the destruction of power plants caused by “brutal cyclone disasters”.

They took cognizance that after graduating from the University of Malawi in 1993, Liabunya joined the Ministry of Energy & Mining for six years, before moving to the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) at which he rose swiftly through the ranks from a maintenance engineer to become a Power Station Manager.

When The Electricity Act was amended to allow for more players in the energy industry, which also resulted in EGENCO being responsible for power generation, he was then appointed CEO. 

Africa Outlook Magazine quoted Liabunya as saying: “Malawi has fallen behind in power generation with one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa for a long time,” adding that the CEO therefore channels the challenge as the source of his motivation, especially as he has been given the opportunity to be central to future electricity generation development. 

He further told the publication that EGENCO was “creating a better tomorrow for Malawi through implementation of sustainable electricity projects for the nation” — adding that there is much more that Malawi can do as a nation to ensure that she is adequately supplied with power.

“Our motto ‘Generating Power for Generations’ is a key driver to our decision making in business management that our investment must be sustainable for generations coming,” he was quoted as saying.

Liabunya further told Africa Outlook Magazine that there are several ongoing projects as part of EGENCO’s strategic plan, aiming to double power generation in Malawi by 2033, providing a road map to guide all work — in tandem with the National Energy Policy of 2016 and the Integrated Resource Plan of 2017. 

He is also quoted as saying he believes that if EGENCO can generate power for over 50% of the Malawi population within the next 15-20 years, the lives of many people especially in rural areas will improve tremendously.

“When communities have electricity, it enables numerous opportunities and livelihoods subsequently improve. It will mean people have access to information through internet, radio, TV, and social media, as well as enabling students to study anytime of the day and night without disturbances,” he told Ed Buds and Joshua Mann in the exclusive interview.