On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, voters across Malawi lined up at dawn to cast their ballots in a pivotal general election, one that comes at a time of extraordinary challenge for the southern African nation. The day’s polls, open from early morning, saw Malawians choosing not only their next president but also lawmakers and local government representatives. With the country mired in economic turmoil, battered by natural disasters, and still reeling from the loss of its vice president, the stakes could hardly be higher.
According to the Associated Press, the contest for the presidency features an unusually crowded field of 17 candidates. Yet, it’s widely seen as a two-horse race between incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, age 70, and his perennial rival, former president Peter Mutharika, age 85. Both men are political heavyweights with long and sometimes controversial histories.
Chakwera, a former preacher and leader of the Malawi Congress Party, is seeking a second and final term. His ascension to the presidency in 2020 was itself historic: after a court nullified Mutharika’s 2019 victory due to widespread irregularities—including the now-infamous use of correction fluid on tally sheets—Chakwera won a rerun, marking the first time an opposition candidate had unseated an incumbent in a court-ordered redo in Africa. The BBC notes that this legal milestone earned Malawi international acclaim for its commitment to democracy.
But the mood in Malawi has shifted since that moment of hope. The past five years have been nothing short of punishing. Inflation has skyrocketed from 8% to 27%, according to Al Jazeera, with food prices alone rising by about 30% in the last year. Fuel shortages have become so severe that long, frustrating queues at petrol stations are now a daily ordeal. “The cost of living is high, and with that many problems have increased,” said Patrick Holeya, a 48-year-old father of six from Thyolo, who told the Associated Press he voted for Mutharika in hopes of "caring leadership."
Malawi’s economic woes are compounded by a series of devastating natural disasters. Cyclone Freddy in 2023 killed more than 1,200 people and destroyed crops, while a severe drought in 2024—driven by El Niño—wiped out harvests and pushed millions into food insecurity. Over 80% of Malawi’s 21.6 million citizens live in rural areas and depend on agriculture, making them especially vulnerable to these shocks. As climate activist Chikondi Chabvuta told Al Jazeera, “Creating a buffer for the people impacted should be a priority because science is telling us these events are going to get worse.”
Corruption, always a simmering issue in Malawian politics, has become another flashpoint. Chakwera campaigned in 2020 on a promise to “clear the rubble of corruption,” but critics, including the influential Catholic Church, claim that not enough has changed. Allegations of nepotism have dogged his administration, particularly after he appointed his daughter as a diplomat to Brussels in 2021. Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has lacked a permanent director for over a year, and the dropping of charges against high-profile figures last year sparked public outrage. The BBC reports that opposition parties have seized on these issues, questioning the seriousness of Chakwera’s anti-corruption drive.
Mutharika, for his part, is no stranger to controversy. The 85-year-old lawyer and former law professor led Malawi from 2014 to 2020, a period marked by lower inflation and major infrastructure projects, but also by his own corruption scandals. In 2018, protests erupted over a $200,000 bribery case, though Mutharika was eventually cleared. His supporters argue that the current economic malaise is evidence that he managed the economy better than his successor. However, his advanced age and relative absence from the campaign trail have fueled speculation about his health and ability to lead.
Other notable candidates include Joyce Banda, Malawi’s only female president (2012-2014), who has also promised to tackle corruption, and Michael Usi, the former vice president. The death of Vice President Saulos Chilima in a military plane crash last year—a loss that made international headlines—removed a key contender from the race and left a leadership vacuum that many Malawians still feel acutely.
For ordinary voters, the issues at stake are tangible and urgent. Malawi is heavily dependent on foreign aid and exports of tobacco and tea, but a shortage of foreign currency has crippled imports of essentials like fertilizer and fuel. In May, the International Monetary Fund terminated a $175 million loan program after only $35 million was disbursed, citing a lack of progress. With salaries stagnant and prices soaring, frustration has boiled over into street protests in cities like Lilongwe and Blantyre.
Chakwera has pitched a cash transfer program for newborns—a promise of 500,000 Malawi kwacha (about $290) to be accessed at age 18—as a way to ease the burden on families. He has also blamed some of the country’s hardships on last year’s drought, a cholera outbreak, and sabotage by corrupt officials. Supporters credit him with restarting train services after 30 years and overseeing major road construction, but detractors say these achievements are cold comfort amid daily struggles for food and fuel.
The mechanics of the election itself have changed since the chaos of 2019. Under new rules, a candidate must win more than 50% of the vote to be declared president in the first round. With 17 candidates splitting the field, a runoff between Chakwera and Mutharika is widely expected. The Malawi Electoral Commission, under intense scrutiny after the last contested election, has until September 24 to announce the presidential results, and until September 30 for parliamentary outcomes. If no one crosses the 50% threshold, a runoff must take place within 30 days.
Approximately 7.2 million Malawians—65% of those eligible, down from 80% in 2019—are registered to vote across 35 local government authorities. As the Associated Press observed, voters waited patiently in long lines as polling stations opened at 6 a.m. local time. The commission has promised a transparent and credible process, but civil society groups and opposition parties have raised concerns about fairness and alleged bias toward the ruling party. Reports of politically motivated violence in the run-up to the vote have heightened tensions.
Malawi’s journey since independence in 1964 has been turbulent, from decades of autocratic rule under Hastings Banda to the multiparty democracy of today. The 2025 election, coming after five years of hardship and hope, will test not only the country’s political institutions but also the resilience and resolve of its people. As ballots are counted and the nation waits for results, Malawians are once again the “kingmakers”—and the world is watching to see what choice they make next.