How CDF Projects Are Transforming Lives in Katete — From Security to Healthcare

In the rural communities of Katete District in Eastern Province, development is no longer confined to plans on paper. It is visible, tangible, and felt in the everyday lives of ordinary Zambians.

Across Milanzi Constituency, new infrastructure — security facilities, healthcare centres, and traditional leadership institutions — is reshaping communities in ways that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. And at the heart of it all is a funding model that is proving its worth: the Constituency Development Fund.

A Government Committed to Decentralised Development

The advancements in Katete are part of President Hakainde Hichilema's broader decentralisation agenda. Under his administration, the CDF has grown dramatically — from K1.6 million per constituency in 2021 to K40 million in the 2026 national budget. That increase has given councils across Zambia the resources to implement community-driven projects at an unprecedented scale.

To ensure those resources are translating into real results, the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) recently conducted a monitoring visit to Katete District, evaluating progress on several key projects.

PDU head Ms Kusobile Kamwambi was clear about the purpose of the visit.

"We have come to assess the progress regarding the CDF and other presidential initiatives in this area. The monitoring allows us to understand what is happening in the province and identify any challenges that the President needs to be aware of, so that solutions can be implemented quickly."

Kagoro's First-Ever Police Station

Perhaps the most striking development in the district is the one that should have happened decades ago.

The construction of the Kagoro Police Station — complete with housing units for officers — marks the first time a police facility has ever been built in the area since Zambia's independence. For a community situated near the Mozambique border, the absence of local law enforcement had long left residents vulnerable.

That is now changing.

"Since independence, we have never had any state security here. With this police station, our people now feel secure, knowing that their animals and property will be protected." — Officer In Charge of Katete Police Station, Clement Mubanga

Katete Acting District Commissioner Paul Kongolo described the project as a landmark moment for the district, noting that it is the first police station ever constructed using the CDF in Katete.

Once operational, the facility will extend security coverage to more than 80,000 residents across surrounding villages — improving response times and strengthening law enforcement in a historically underserved border area.

Head PDU Ms. Kuso Kamwambi (middle) receiving a briefing on the newly constructed CDF Kagoro Police station from Officer In-charge for Katete Police station, Clement Mubanga, on 27 February 2026.

Healthcare Where It Is Needed Most

For years, residents within the Kagoro Zonal Health Centre's catchment area had to travel long distances to reach inpatient care. The centre had no admission wards, meaning patients could only be observed — not properly treated — on site.

That has changed with the CDF-funded construction of a modern admission ward at the facility.

"Our catchment population is over 15,000 people, but before this project, we did not have any admission wards. Now, we can provide full nursing care because we have proper wards and the necessary equipment." — Acting Nurse in Charge Peggy Malama

The ward is expected to benefit over 15,000 residents, reducing the burden on distant referral hospitals and bringing quality healthcare closer to where people actually live.

Head PDU Ms. Kuso Kamwambi (2nd from left), accompanied by Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr. Lewis Mwape (1st from right), inspecting new wards at the CDF Kagoro Health Centre in Katete on 27 February 2026.

Strengthening Traditional Leadership

Development in rural Zambia is rarely achieved without the support of traditional leaders, and Katete District has recognised that reality with the construction of a modern palace for Chieftainess Kawaza of the Chewa-speaking people in the Katete and Sinda Districts.

The newly constructed Palace for Chieftainess Kawaza in Kagoro village in Katete.

Traditional leaders play a vital role in land administration, conflict resolution, and rallying communities around development initiatives. Investing in their institutions sends a clear signal that local governance structures matter.

Chieftainess Kawaza expressed her satisfaction with the work carried out.

"The work has been done very well. Only a few minor details remain before the palace is fully ready for occupation."

Dr Lewis Mwape, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Eastern Province, praised the partnership between traditional leaders and local authorities as essential to the success of government projects.

Chieftainess Kawaza

Development That Communities Can See and Feel

What is happening in Katete is not unique — it is part of a national story playing out in constituencies across Zambia. Since the CDF's expansion, thousands of community projects in education, healthcare, water, and infrastructure have been delivered nationwide.

But it is in places like Kagoro — where development once seemed out of reach — that the impact is felt most acutely. Improved security, better access to healthcare, stronger local institutions: these are not statistics. They are changes in people's daily lives.

When national commitments are matched with effective delivery, communities do not just receive services. They are transformed.