• Police was constructed at a cost of K575, 000 due to increase in prices of building materials owing to Covid-19 pandemic.
• District sources most of its products including building materials outside town which makes it a bit more costly
• Materials and costs that may be used in construction of an ordinary building such as a house may not necessarily apply in the case of building a police.

Mambwe Town Council has clarified that Nsefu Police Post was constructed at a cost of K575, 000 due to increase in prices of building materials owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Council Secretary John Mwanza explained that the district sources most of its products including building materials outside town which makes it a bit more costly than it would cost if sourced within districts.
Mr. Mwanza said it is important for members of the public to understand that a Police Post is a security facility, therefore some of the materials and costs that may be used in the construction of an ordinary building such as a house may not necessarily apply in this case.
“This was at a time when the country was grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic, which also greatly led to a hike in the cost of building materials as most hardware stores within Eastern Province and across the Country were also struggling to restock due to the lock down that most exporting and importing countries were faced with,” he said.
“Mambwe, as a small District, sources most of its products including building materials outside the District which also makes the purchase of building materials a bit more costly than it would cost districts with more stores and industries,” he stated.
He noted that the ceiling board in the police post was made out of concrete sealing to enhance security in the police Cell, which means that more cement and steel was used than usual.
“The project cost, was based on the prices of materials that were generated in the Bill of Quantities (BOQs) at that time and added that the project was implemented on full contract basis by the contractor who was executing the work,” he added.
Mr. Mwanza was responding to concerns by some members of the public that the amount used for the construction of the mini Nsefu Police post was too high compared to the actual structure that has been built.