Malawi Re-elects Mutharika After Ousting Him for Fraud and Corruption Allegations

BLANTYRE, Malawi (TAV) —Peter Mutharika, 85, has reclaimed Malawi’s presidency, defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, 70, in a stunning comeback that underscored voter frustration with economic decline but also raised pointed questions about political memory.

Mutharika secured more than 56 percent of the vote, according to official results announced Wednesday, while Chakwera managed just 33 percent. The outcome was decisive: Mutharika not only won nationally but also captured strongholds once loyal to his rival. Chakwera conceded hours before the tally was complete, urging Malawians to remain calm and respect the result.

Why Malawians Booted Mutharika From Office

Mutharika’s return is steeped in irony. Only five years ago, he was driven out of office after Malawi’s Constitutional Court annulled the results of the 2019 election, in which he had initially been declared the winner. Opposition parties alleged the vote was riddled with irregularities, including the use of correction fluid on tally sheets — a controversy that became infamous as the “Tipp-Ex election.”

In February 2020, the court ruled that the evidence of tampering was too great to ignore and ordered a fresh election within 150 days. The decision, hailed as a democratic landmark in Africa, sparked jubilant protests demanding accountability and new leadership. Police struggled to contain the unrest, at times deploying tear gas and force as thousands filled the streets.

Chakwera triumphed in the court-ordered re-run, sweeping to power on promises of reform, accountability and an end to corruption. His victory was celebrated as a historic rebuke of electoral malpractice and a turning point for Malawian democracy.

Collapse Under Chakwera

But once in office, Chakwera, a former pastor, struggled to deliver. Inflation surged past 20 percent, fuel and food shortages became routine, and devastating climate shocks battered agriculture. His government also faced criticism for failing to take decisive action on corruption cases.

By 2025, the optimism of his rise had given way to deep public frustration. Many voters concluded that the change they demanded in 2020 had not materialized, and turned back to the man they had once rejected.

“This was less about love for Mutharika and more about punishment for Chakwera,” said a political analyst in Lilongwe. “Voters expected transformation, and when it did not come, they chose familiarity instead.”

Among those who have congratulated Mutharika is Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who faces her own election in October. She praised Malawians for holding a peaceful vote, commended Chakwera for accepting defeat, and said she looked forward to working with Mutharika to strengthen ties between the two neighbors.

Regional Ripples: Kenya’s “WANTAM”

The shock result in Malawi reverberated across the region, especially in Kenya, where opponents of President William Ruto have rallied behind the slogan “WANTAM,” shorthand for “one term,” to deny him re-election.

“Malawians have confirmed their WANTAM by voting out their Deputy Jesus,” Kenyan commentator Abdulahi Adan wrote on X, using a mocking nickname for Chakwera. “Fast forward in 2025, the incumbent has not just lost to former president Mutharika, he has lost with a landslide, including in his own strongholds. His party has lost almost everywhere.”

Kenyan activists viewed the result with glee, interpreting it as a sign of shifting political winds across Africa. But analysts warned the celebration may be misplaced. Mutharika, after all, is not a new reformer but a leader once rejected for fraud and mismanagement.

Parallels Observed

Malawi’s vote highlights the volatility of African democracies, where voters are willing to unseat incumbents but also willing to reinstate leaders they once ousted. The dynamic mirrors political swings elsewhere: in the United States, Donald Trump returned to power in 2024 after being voted out in 2020, another example of a rejected leader staging a comeback.

For Malawians, the stakes are immediate. Mutharika inherits a battered economy and a public weary of empty promises. His second act will test whether a man once faulted for corruption and electoral malpractice can deliver renewal, or whether the cycle of hope and disappointment will repeat.