• Selection of the vehicles, whose unit price amounts to US$53,289.10 each, was arrived at because of their versatility and durability.
• The Ministry was guided by and fully followed the provisions of the relevant laws governing public procurement in all the processes.
• This is contrary to social media reports that Minister in charge, Garry Nkombo is involved in corruption

Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has clarified that the purchase of 156 Toyota Land cruisers amounting to US$ 8, 313, 084 is in accordance with the Guidelines of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
Ministry’s Permanent Secretary for Administration, Mambo Hamaundu said this is contrary to social media reports that Minister in charge, Garry Nkombo is involved in corruption in the purchase of the 156 Toyota Land cruisers Hard-body motor vehicles for Constituencies using CDF.
Mr. Hamaundu stated that the Ministry was guided by and fully followed the provisions of the relevant laws governing public procurement in all the processes.
He said the selection of the vehicles, whose unit price amounts to US$53,289.10 each, was arrived at because of their versatility and durability.
“The Ministry opted to direct bid Toyota Zambia Limited in line with the Public Procurement Act No. 8 of 2022 section 34 (a) because of the selected model of the Vehicle. The selection of the vehicles, whose unit price amounts to US$53,289.10 each, was arrived at because of their versatility and durability.”
“These vehicles will be used for purposes of monitoring and evaluation of the CDF projects in all the 156 Constituencies,” Mr. Hamaundu stated.
Mr. Hamaundu added that in order to ensure efficiency in the procurement and delivery of the motor vehicles, it was decided that the purchase should be done centrally.
“However, to ensure accountability, each local authority included a budget line for a CDF project vehicle in their respective CDF community project budgets,” he said.
According to the CDF Guidelines Part 2 section 2.2.3 on motor purchase provides, the CDF Committee shall procure a brand new 4×4 motor vehicle from the allocation for Community Projects to be strictly used for CDF activities whose cost shall be amortized over a period of five years, and a driver for the vehicle shall be provided by the Local Authority, while the vehicle shall be maintained from the funds under the Community Projects Component.