By Chisomo Kambandanga,

Nkhata Bay, May 21, Mana: Councillor for Boma Ward in Nkhata Bay Central Constituency, Adamana Cyria Nyamwera, has described the newly constructed council chamber at Nkhata Bay District Council as a game-changer, promoting citizen participation and democracy.

Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Nyamwera said the chamber has already started bearing fruits, witnessed by citizens' participation during full council meetings, something that was not the case before due to limited space.

"I am impressed with how the new council chamber is constructed. So modern, timely, and spacious. Today, citizens are well-informed about local issues, policies, and decisions affecting their communities through their participation in the deliberations, hence promoting their democratic right to governance, which is a welcome development," he said.

According to Nyamwera, the new chamber represents the government's commitment to respecting its members by providing comfortable seating, accessible facilities, and state-of-the-art technology, which is a symbol of progress.

He therefore urged his fellow council members and all users to take care of the facility to ensure its longevity and continued service to the community.

In his remarks, Nkhata Bay District Council Director of Planning and Development, Edgar Chihana, said the construction of the new council chamber is a step towards achieving the MW2063.

"This current council chamber, which cost us about K149 million, is now accommodating over 60 people, unlike the previous one, which had a maximum of 30. We have space for all media houses during deliberations, contributing to access to information for the people," he said.

Chihana added that the facility has greatly helped to improve service delivery to the council because, apart from providing a conducive environment for deliberations, it has boosted revenue collection avenues for the council by hiring it out for other purposes.

He therefore expressed heartfelt appreciation to the council members for approving construction of the new council chamber and urged citizens to regularly attend council meetings to appreciate the deliberations.

The new council chamber was constructed through the National Local Government Finance Committee under District Development Fund.