Police in Malawi arrested eight election officials for allegedly attempting to manipulate election results as the vote count is underway following last Tuesday’s elections in the Southeast African nation.
Malawi police national spokesperson Peter Kalaya said: “Those arrested includes election officials such as data clerks and a presiding officer, who were arrested on Saturday morning in Nkhoma Constituency in the rural areas of the country’s capital, Lilongwe and a strong hold of Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
“So far, we have instituted investigations to establish the motive and for whose benefit this has been done. We are therefore calling the citizenry to remain calm as we are waiting for the official results of the elections,” said Kalaya.
Last Tuesday on September 16th 2025, just over four million eligible voters went to the polls to elect a new president, members of parliament and councilors to govern the country in the next five years.
The elections have been marred by voter apathy seven million and two hundred thousand people registered for the polls and only four million people turned up to vote representing 64 percent.
However, since then, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has yet to release any official partial results, drawing criticism from key election stakeholders who are now pressuring the commission to make the results public.
Malawi Election officials have attributed the delay to network glitches. But said “all is underway to rectify the challenges.”
Incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is seeking re-election, while former President Arthur Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is his main rival in the hotly contested poll.
Early votes counts show that former president and DPP leader, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika is leading the presidential polls.
Malawi Electoral Commission is yet to declare next Malawi’s president.
Most of the presidential candidates including former president and People’s Party (PP) leader Joyce Banda and UTM president Dr. Dalitso Kabambe among others have conceded defeat and have congratulated Professor Mutharika.
The Malawi Congress Party, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has been mum on the results. However, his running-mate, Vitumbiko Mumba has been vocal and have been peddling accusations of vote rigging and data manipulation against the former ruling party, DPP.
“So far, we have instituted investigations to establish the motive and for whose benefit this has been done.”
Peter Kalaya
Malawi Police National Spokesperson
