By Chisomo Phiri
Parliament has suspended investigations into several public institutions after the High Court issued an interim order restraining committees established by Speaker of the National Assembly Sameer Suleman from proceeding with their work.
In a statement, the Office of the Speaker says the decision follows an injunction obtained by Malawian citizen Austin Mkoka, which prevents Parliament from proceeding with the proposed investigation
According to the Speaker’s office, the order means the committees cannot continue with their work until the court determines the matter.
The office further says Suleman held discussions with President Peter Mutharika on Saturday, during which they agreed on the importance of respecting the respective roles and functions of the Executive, Parliament and Judiciary.
The Speaker’s office has since stressed that the court order does not amount to a final determination that Parliament acted unlawfully.
Instead, it says the order temporarily restrains the committees from proceeding while the court considers the legal challenge brought against their establishment.
Suleman established ad hoc committees to investigate concerns surrounding several public institutions, including the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA), Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO), Power Market Limited (PML), Blantyre Water Board (BWB) and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services (DICS).
Mkoka challenged the establishment of the committees in the High Court, seeking judicial review of the Speaker’s decision.
The court subsequently issued an interim order on September 4, 2026, temporarily stopping Parliament from establishing or operationalising the committees pending further proceedings.
The matter has also attracted the attention of the Malawi Law Society (MLS), which has indicated that it will join the judicial review proceedings challenging the parliamentary committees.
