After experiencing weeks of fuel shortages, the Malawi government says it has bought about 51.5 million litres of diesel and petrol from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) under a government-to-government (G-2-G) arrangement that Malawi's President Lazarus Chakwera announced last November.

In a statement released late Saturday, Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola said the fuel has been procured under a bilateral arrangement between Kenya's existing G-2-G arrangement with Abu Dhabi and Malawi.

The first fuel tankers are expected to arrive in Malawi on Thursday, January 9.

This emergency short reprieve will only last between January and February as Malawi consumes about 50 million litres of fuel each month.

Channel Africa's reporter Micheal Mbewe is in Malawi's capital of Lilongwe and he spoke to Peter Ndoro, as well as Malawi's political and economics expert Dr George Chaima.