Who is Peter Mutharika, the 85-year-old sworn in as Malawi President in political comeback?

Blantyre: Peter Mutharika was sworn in as Malawi’s president on Saturday, marking a dramatic political return at the age of 85 after securing victory in last month’s election.

Thousands gathered at Kamuzu Stadium in the commercial capital, Blantyre, to witness the inauguration of the former leader, who previously served as president from 2014 to 2020.

Mutharika reclaimed office after winning the 16 September election with 56% of the vote, defeating incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera, who garnered 33%. His return follows a controversial chapter in Malawi’s political history, as the 2019 election he initially won was annulled by the courts due to widespread irregularities, leading to his defeat in the court-mandated 2020 rerun.

Who is Peter Mutharika?

Born in 1940 in the tea-growing region of Thyolo, he was raised by two teachers and developed a love for education.

"I grew up in a family where my parents were educators, and myself I spent all my life in higher education, at seven universities on three continents," Mutharika commented in 2017, during an address at the UK's Oxford University.

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).

He served in his brother's cabinet as justice minister, education minister and then foreign minister.

New challenges

Taking office amid a worsening economic crisis, Mutharika acknowledged the country’s deepening challenges, including soaring inflation, fuel and food shortages, and the impacts of recent climate disasters such as the 2023 cyclone and a drought that followed.

“Our nation is in crisis. There is no food, no foreign exchange. This is a man-made crisis,” he said during his inauguration speech. “We will fix this country. I don't promise you milk and honey, but hard work.”

A Yale-educated law professor, Mutharika pledged to crack down on corruption, though his own first term was also marred by graft allegations. He stressed a renewed commitment to transparency and accountability.

He also called on international partners to support Malawi’s development, stating: “We seek partnerships, not handouts.” He thanked the United States, the UK, and the European Union for their ongoing support in tackling corruption and confirmed that a Malawian delegation would soon travel to Washington to renegotiate aid terms following recent cuts that have hit the country hard.

Mutharika noted that US President Donald Trump had sent him a congratulatory message.

Although Chakwera did not attend the swearing-in ceremony, his Malawi Congress Party extended a message of goodwill to the incoming administration.