Former President Peter Mutharika is set to return to Malawi’s top office after winning 56% of the vote in the September 2025 presidential election. The Malawi Electoral Commission officially declared Mutharika president-elect, alongside vice president-elect Justice Dr Jane Mayemu Ansah.
Malawi's ex-president Mutharika to make a comeback after winning elections
Malawi's presidential candidate, former President Peter Mutharika stands on a voting booth as he prepares to cast his vote in Thyolo District, Malawi, Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.
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Mutharika, who previously led the country from 2014 to 2020, replaces incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, who garnered just 33% and conceded defeat in a televised address hours before the final announcement.
Celebrations broke out across the country as Mutharika supporters welcomed his return, expressing hope for solutions to Malawi’s mounting economic challenges. The country is battling inflation over 27%, severe fuel and food shortages, and a depreciating currency, crises exacerbated by the 2023 cyclone and last year’s crippling drought.
Lilongwe resident Lewis Kasama voiced expectations: “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.”