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Government has reportedly released a total of K5.26 billion under the 2025 Constituency Development Fund (CDF), representing 94 percent of the approved allocations to local authorities.
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Nicholas Phiri, said utilisation of the funds stood at 86 percent as of December 2025, reflecting improved absorption capacity by councils.
He disclosed this during a media briefing held at the Ministry in Lusaka on Tuesday to review the performance of the CDF programme in 2025 and outline the 2026 outlook.
Phiri said 2,985 community projects worth K2.9 billion were approved during the year—slightly lower than the 3,000 projects approved in 2024 but at a higher overall cost.
He further noted increased investment in human capital, with 48,985 secondary school bursary beneficiaries approved at a cost of K188 million, compared to 33,932 in the previous year.
“The Constituency Development Fund continues to be a critical tool for delivering tangible development at community level, and we are pleased with the progress recorded in 2025,” he said.
Phiri also revealed that 47,071 youths benefited from skills development bursaries at a cost of K709 million, while 15,827 community groups accessed empowerment grants amounting to K348 million.
Loan financing under CDF also expanded, with 6,694 beneficiaries approved for loans valued at K421 million.
On the implementation of presidential directives, Phiri reported significant gains in education and health infrastructure. He said 3,500 classroom blocks were constructed in 2025, accompanied by the delivery of more than 855,000 desks, while staff houses were built across various constituencies.
“We have seen a notable improvement in education and health infrastructure delivery, with increased numbers of classrooms, health posts and maternity annexes constructed under CDF,” Phiri said.
In the health sector, 445 health posts and 309 maternity annexes were completed. Additionally, more than 3,100 boreholes and 361 ablution blocks were constructed to improve water, sanitation and hygiene.
Road infrastructure also received attention, with 4,171 kilometres of roads completed nationwide.
Phiri commended constituencies such as Chienge, Mafinga, Mkushi South, Nyimba, Mpika and Mkhaika for attaining 100 percent utilisation of their CDF allocations.
“These constituencies have demonstrated that effective planning and timely implementation can deliver full utilisation of CDF resources,” he said.
However, he acknowledged persistent challenges in some areas, including gaps in project delivery and low loan repayment levels, which currently stand at about nine percent.
“While progress has been made, we must address the challenges in loan recovery and project implementation to ensure the sustainability of the fund,” he said.
Phiri also announced that K2.8 million had been released to clear outstanding payments under the Cash for Work programme, and that the process would be concluded before the next phase begins within the next two weeks.
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