Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has hailed Malawi’s presidential election result as a lesson for African nations, calling it proof that citizens can hold leaders accountable through the ballot.
Writing on X on Thursday, Mr Gachagua congratulated Malawi’s President-elect Peter Mutharika, describing his victory as a “continental statement.”
“It is a declaration that Africa, the rising continent and a home to 1.5 billion people, is no longer a playground for religious hypocrisy, conmanship, corruption, pathological lies, dictatorship, and self-serving regimes,” he said.
Mr Gachagua argued that the result should serve as a warning to leaders who cling to power against the will of their people. “From Idi Amin to Mobutu, from Bokassa to Mugabe, the era of oligarchy and strongmen has collapsed under the weight of people’s power on the ballot,” he wrote.
He urged Kenyans to take note as the country prepares for its own general election in 2027. “Malawi has reminded us that African citizens are awake. They see. They feel. They think. They act,” he said. “The will of the people is supreme. WANTAM IS A REALITY!”
Mr Mutharika, 85, returns to power after defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera in a vote held on September 16. The former leader, who governed from 2014 to 2020, was credited with improving infrastructure and lowering inflation during his earlier term, though critics accused him of favouritism and cronyism — claims he rejected.
Mr Chakwera, who took office in 2020, faced mounting criticism over economic mismanagement and a failure to address corruption. Inflation in the largely rural, agriculture-dependent nation reached 33 per cent under his watch, with steep rises in the cost of maize and fertiliser fuelling voter discontent.
On 24 September, hours before the official results were due, Mr Chakwera conceded defeat, clearing the way for Mr Mutharika’s return.
For Mr Gachagua, the shift in Lilongwe is more than just a political change in a neighbouring country. It is, he suggests, a reminder to Kenyans — and other Africans — that the ballot remains the most powerful tool for shaping their future.
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