Peter Mutharika: A Return to Power Amid Challenges in Malawi

Mon Oct 13 2025 18:55:27 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Former Malawian president Peter Mutharika makes a surprising comeback in the recent elections, promising a return to stability as the country faces economic turmoil.

Peter Mutharika, who served as president from 2014 to 2020, has reclaimed the presidency of Malawi after defeating current leader Lazarus Chakwera in the recent elections. Mutharika, facing skepticism about his age and health, promises to address the severe economic challenges that have plagued the nation since his exit from office. His return raises both hope and concern among Malawians, navigating a complex political landscape marred by past corruption allegations.

Just five years after being dramatically unseated by a court ruling, Peter Mutharika is set to return to power as the president of Malawi.

Mutharika, who held the top job from 2014 to 2020, seems to have triumphed in last week's general election, usurping his long-time rival, President Lazarus Chakwera.

Mutharika told voters on the campaign trail that life was simply better under him - Malawi has experienced one of its worst ever economic downturns since Chakwera took office.

But the record of 85-year-old Mutharika has its own blemishes, from corruption allegations to the debacle that ended his first presidency.

This is the fourth time he has run for office, but initially, Mutharika did not intend to go into politics. Born in 1940 in the tea-growing region of Thyolo, he was raised by two teachers and developed a love for education.

He attended Dedza Secondary School, an institution in central Malawi known for nurturing notable politicians, and studied law in the 1960s at the prestigious Yale University in the US.

Mutharika went on to become a professor, building an expertise in international justice. He spent decades away from Malawi teaching at universities in the US, Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia.

Mutharika eventually pivoted to politics in 2004, when his older brother, Bingu, became Malawi's president.

Mutharika returned home to serve as an adviser to the new president and in 2009, he was elected as an MP for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

However, Mutharika's rise was not without challenges. Tensions emerged in 2010 amid reports that Bingu planned to name his brother as the DPP's presidential candidate for the 2014 elections.

After Bingu's death in 2012, a power struggle ensued, leading to Mutharika being charged with treason, though he dismissed the charges as frivolous.

Winning the presidency in 2014 with 36% of the vote, he faced several challenges, including corruption allegations and infrastructural issues during his term.

In 2019, Mutharika was declared the victor in the election but faced a Constitutional Court ruling that annulled the results due to widespread tampering.

Since leaving office, inflation in Malawi has soared past 30%, motivating Mutharika's surprising return to the political scene as he seeks to reclaim leadership amid numerous economic hardships faced by the population.

During this year's campaign, he posed rhetorical questions to voters in local Chichewa: 'Munandisowa eti? Mwakhaula eti? (You miss me right? You have suffered, right?)', signaling his awareness of the public's struggles.

Mutharika, despite his age, triumphed in areas once considered Chakwera strongholds, showing a complex dynamic in Malawian politics.

As Mutharika returns to the presidential residence, he faces the pressing issue of addressing the struggles that have pushed many Malawians into extreme poverty. While some view his comeback with hope, many remain cautious, closely observing how he intends to navigate the challenging landscape of governance in Malawi.