He left office under controversy. Now, at 85, Mutharika says he is the only one who can steady the ship.
By Collins Mtika:
At 85, Peter Mutharika is betting that Malawians will see him not as a relic of the past but as the steady hand to guide a nation in crisis.
The former president has accepted the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nomination to challenge Lazarus Chakwera in the September 16, 2025, general election, a high-stakes test of whether experience can outweigh the hunger for change.
Mutharika, who led Malawi from 2014 to 2020, is campaigning on one urgent promise: to rescue the country from its economic freefall.
His message is blunt – “We are coming to fix the economy” – aimed at voters worn down by the collapsing value of the kwacha, foreign exchange shortages, and inflation stuck above 30%.
He presents his return as a response to a national cry for stability, appealing to memories of relative calm under his presidency.
That nostalgia is tempered by history. His 2019 re-election was annulled by the Constitutional Court for “widespread irregularities,” paving the way for Chakwera’s victory.
His tenure was also marked by allegations of corruption and cronyism, the same charges now facing the incumbent. Even so, his supporters argue that he delivered steadier growth and a more predictable political climate than Malawians face today.
A nation’s anger as Mutharika returns
The economic backdrop is grim. Inflation above 30% has gutted purchasing power. Foreign currency shortages have caused long queues at petrol stations and left hospitals without essential medicines.
The World Bank projects GDP growth of just 2.0% in 2025, insufficient to reverse a fourth consecutive year of falling per capita income. Poverty stands at 71.2%, with another 417,000 Malawians expected to fall below the $2.15-a-day threshold this year.
An El Niño-driven drought in 2024 has left one in four citizens facing acute food insecurity.
President Chakwera’s “new dawn” pledge of creating one million jobs has become a national punchline.
“Malawians suffer while leaders make empty promises,” opposition leader David Mbewe says, a frustration that has become political fuel for Mutharika’s comeback bid.
Navigating a fractured field
The DPP itself has been weakened by infighting, including the expulsion of its vice president for the south, Kondwani Nankhumwa, who now leads his own party.
Yet the leadership has united around Mutharika, prioritising his name recognition over promoting new figures.
Meanwhile, the ruling Tonse Alliance has collapsed following the 2024 death of Vice President Saulos Chilima in a plane crash and the withdrawal of his United Transformation Movement (UTM) from the coalition.
Mutharika is now courting the UTM in hopes of forging a pre-election pact, a move that could reshape the electoral map.
Under Malawi’s 50%+1 rule, the race will likely head to a second round. Former president Joyce Banda is also running, adding to the crowded field and making an outright first-round win for any candidate improbable.
The Corruption Shadow
Corruption remains a defining fault line. Transparency International ranks Malawi 115th out of 180 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index. Both Mutharika and Chakwera face lingering questions over past dealings.
The UK’s indictment of businessman Zuneth Sattar for allegedly bribing Malawian officials, including figures linked to both administrations, underscores the depth of the problem.
For Mutharika, the challenge is to convince voters his return would not repeat past patterns. Critics like political scientist Wonderful Mkhutche argue he offers no fresh solutions to Malawi’s structural problems. Supporters counter that proven leadership is precisely what the country needs in turbulent times.
Institutions under watch
The Malawi Electoral Commission is under pressure to deliver a credible vote, with the memory of the annulled 2019 election still fresh.
Civil society groups are scrambling to fund voter education and election monitoring. Reports of politically motivated attacks and online hate speech have raised concerns about a growing climate of hostility.
The judiciary and military, both respected for their independence, remain critical guardrails. Yet voter apathy looms, fueled by broken promises and a sense that no candidate represents genuine change.
A decision between Past and Future
On September 16, Malawians will make more than a political choice.
They will decide whether to return to a leader with a complicated legacy but a reputation for stability or stick with a president whose vision has faltered under economic strain.
For Mutharika, it is a gamble that voters will choose stability over novelty. For the nation, it is a question of whether the past is a safer bet than an uncertain future.
