By Suleman Chitera
Lilongwe, Malawi – Former President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has taken a commanding lead in the Malawi presidential race, according to official results released by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
With results from 24 electoral councils now announced, Mutharika has so far secured 2,022,879 votes, putting him 1,250,373 votes ahead of his closest rival, Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who trails with 722,575 votes.
Dalitso Kabambe of the United Transformation Movement (UTM) sits in third place with 146,664 votes.
District-by-District Results So Far
MEC’s official tallies show Mutharika performing strongly in his traditional strongholds of the Southern Region, while Chakwera has maintained dominance in parts of the Central Region. Below are key highlights from the districts counted so far:
Mulanje: Mutharika 207,596, Chakwera 3,195, Kabambe 2,579
Zomba Rural: Mutharika 213,241, Chakwera 5,676, Kabambe 3,761
Thyolo: Mutharika 200,131, Chakwera 2,943, Kabambe 2,516
Chikwawa: Mutharika 187,283, Chakwera 7,290, Kabambe 2,736
Lilongwe City: Mutharika 145,908, Chakwera 102,787, Kabambe 28,570
Dowa: Chakwera 216,091, Mutharika 15,906, Kabambe 3,534
Mzimba: Mutharika 118,117, Chakwera 91,509, Kabambe 19,876
National Picture
The figures reflect Mutharika’s resurgence and the DPP’s strong grassroots support, particularly in the South. Analysts suggest that if the current trend continues, Mutharika could surpass the 50% threshold and secure an outright victory.
Projections by Malawi24 had already indicated Mutharika was likely to win with over 55% of the vote, and the official MEC tallies released so far appear to confirm this trend.
What’s Next?
MEC is expected to continue releasing official results until all 36 electoral councils are counted and verified. The commission has urged Malawians to remain patient and peaceful as the tallying process continues at the National Tally Centre in Lilongwe.
For now, the momentum clearly favors Peter Mutharika and the DPP, while Chakwera faces an uphill task to close the massive vote gap.
