After a dramatic and closely watched election, Peter Mutharika is set to return to Malawi’s highest office, marking a rare defeat for an African incumbent and a powerful statement from a nation grappling with economic crisis. The Malawi Electoral Commission declared the 85-year-old former president the winner of the September 2025 presidential election, handing him a landslide victory with nearly 57% of the vote against outgoing President Lazarus Chakwera’s 33%.
Mutharika’s comeback was officially announced on September 24, with celebrations breaking out across the country. Supporters flooded the streets, waving party flags and singing songs of hope, their expectations high for a leader who previously steered Malawi between 2014 and 2020. The new vice president-elect, Justice Dr Jane Mayemu Ansah, will join him in office.
Chakwera, 70, conceded defeat even before the final announcement, making him one of the few African incumbents in recent memory to peacefully hand over power after a single term. In a televised address, he told the nation, “From those official results, it was clear that my main rival, His Excellency Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party had already secured an insurmountable lead and is the presumptive winner of the presidential election.” He added, “I know for many of you that supported my campaign for re-election, this outcome is disappointing...but it is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your collective will as citizens and out of respect for the constitution.”
This peaceful transition drew praise from the African Union. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chair of the African Union Commission, congratulated Mutharika and commended Malawians for their “enthusiastic, peaceful and orderly engagement in this credible democratic process.”
But behind the jubilation lies a country facing severe challenges. Malawi’s economy is in the grip of a crisis: inflation has soared to nearly 30%, the local currency has depreciated sharply, and severe fuel and food shortages have become routine. The World Bank reports that more than 70% of Malawi’s 21 million people now live in poverty. The economic pain has been exacerbated by external shocks, including the 2023 cyclone and a crippling drought in 2024, as well as the ongoing global fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war.
The election campaign revolved around these economic woes. Growth rates have lagged behind population growth, with the average GDP increase at just 2.2% compared to a population growth rate of 2.6%. The prices of staple goods, especially maize and fertilizer, have skyrocketed—fertilizer alone is now six times more expensive than just a few years ago, threatening food security for millions.
In the run-up to the vote, Malawi’s Church leaders urged congregants to choose leaders “genuinely committed to fulfilling their campaign promises and addressing the pressing economic challenges facing the nation.” Many citizens, however, blamed the outgoing administration’s policy missteps for deepening the crisis. Critics pointed to an overvalued exchange rate, unsustainable borrowing, and restrictive trade policies as factors that left Malawi dangerously exposed. Fiscal deficits, among the highest in Africa, were largely financed by costly domestic borrowing.
Corruption was another sore point. Despite President Chakwera’s pledges to root out graft, critics argued that enforcement was selective and high-profile scandals eroded public trust. The inability to deliver on major promises, such as creating one million jobs, fueled widespread disillusionment—especially among the youth, who had once been the backbone of Chakwera’s support.
Chakwera’s own story is remarkable. Before entering politics in 2013, he was an Assemblies of God minister and held a Doctor of Ministry degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He cast his move into politics as a “divine calling,” telling supporters that God was extending his ministry to “pastor a whole nation.” When he defeated Mutharika in the historic 2020 rerun election—ordered after the courts annulled Mutharika’s previous win due to irregularities—hopes ran high. Chakwera promised to fight corruption, fix the economy, create jobs, and restore dignity for Malawians. But by 2025, voters judged him harshly on his record, with many analysts suggesting that his leadership style, rooted in church structures, may have clashed with the demands of democratic governance and accountability.
Still, Chakwera’s government did notch some achievements. Under-five mortality dropped to 48 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, a dramatic improvement. His administration also touted infrastructure projects, digital reforms, and initiatives like savings accounts for newborns as evidence of a long-term vision. Yet, these gains were overshadowed by the daily realities of economic hardship and persistent corruption scandals.
“The President should make sure that we have food and reduce the price of fertilizer. He should also work at restoring the value of the Malawi Kwacha... and avoid regionalism to build the nation,” said Lilongwe resident Lewis Kasama, voicing the hopes of many who voted for Mutharika’s return.
Mutharika himself has pledged to prioritize economic growth and resolve the country’s chronic foreign exchange shortage, which has restricted imports of essentials like fuel and fertilizer. His supporters, who affectionately call him “father,” expect decisive action to pull Malawi back from the brink. The new president must be sworn into office between seven and thirty days of the official results, meaning he will take the oath sometime between October 2 and October 25, 2025.
The scale of the challenge ahead is daunting. Malawi’s economic crisis is deep-rooted, and more than 70% of the population lives in poverty. The anti-incumbent wave that swept Mutharika back to power was driven by frustration with stagnation, corruption, and broken promises. Yet, Mutharika himself is not without baggage—he was voted out just five years ago, and some wonder whether he can deliver where others have failed.
For now, the country’s mood is one of cautious optimism. The world is watching to see whether Mutharika’s second act will bring the stability and prosperity Malawians so desperately crave—or whether, as has happened before, hope will give way to disappointment. As the nation prepares for a new chapter, the stakes could hardly be higher.
