Let’s face it: if elections were won on noise alone, the opposition would be miles ahead by now. But elections, thankfully, are still about impact—and on that score, President Lazarus Chakwera and the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) are walking into September with more than momentum. They’re walking in with receipts. Big ones.
In just five years, the MCP government has rewritten the definition of delivery. Need a road? Embangweni has it. Mzimba Street? Done. Kenyatta Drive? 98% there. Kanengo Crossroads? Smoothed out and finished. From city highways to rural arteries, the asphalt doesn’t lie. And it’s not just roads. Mzuni’s library is almost complete, Chanco’s admin block is nearly done, Lilongwe’s new bridge is rising fast, and more than 800 classroom blocks now stand where dreams used to be just chalk on blackboards. Let’s not forget the 240 rehabilitated health centres, the Phalombe and Nthalire hospitals, and the dozens of irrigation schemes that are bringing hope back to farmers.
And the reforms? They’re not just reforms—they’re lifelines. University access has tripled. The evil quota system? Gone. Tuition loans? Now a right, not a privilege. Over 30,000 students have access to education financing, while 10,000 teachers have been promoted—five times more than under past administrations. The minimum wage? Up by a staggering 400%. Meanwhile, fertilizer is more affordable (just two bags of maize, down from four), farmgate prices are up, and power blackouts—once a symbol of national stagnation—are now rare enough to surprise.
Let’s talk money. First K150,000 in salaries is now tax-free. Constituency Development Fund allocations have jumped to K200 million a year. And NEEF? No longer a rumour, but a revolution—offering real loans for farmers, women, entrepreneurs, and yes, even mega-farmers.
And then there’s dignity. Women now hold more top positions. Security officers have new homes. Students have new classrooms. DC offices in Thyolo now stand tall. Stadiums are rising in Zomba, Mwanza, Thyolo, and Chitipa. Even Likoma, often forgotten, got a new jetty. MCP didn’t just run a government—they rolled up their sleeves and built things.
So, what else would you possibly need to vote against this record? A miracle? A memory lapse?
This isn’t about blind loyalty. It’s about undeniable facts. Chakwera’s government has not been perfect—no government is. But with roads laid, hospitals opened, tax burdens eased, farmers supported, classrooms built, and futures funded, the question this September isn’t if MCP will win. The real question is: By how much over 50% plus one?
