Malawi’s President Mutharika Appoints Partial Cabinet
(MENAFN) Malawi’s newly inaugurated President Peter Mutharika has announced a partial lineup of his Cabinet following his election victory on September 16 and swearing-in on Saturday.
On Sunday, Mutharika appointed Enock Chihana from the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) as the nation’s second vice president. Chihana’s appointment is historic—he is only the second person to hold this post in Malawi’s history, after his father, Chakufwa Chihana, who twice served as second vice president under former President Bakili Muluzi. Jane Ansah, Mutharika’s running mate during the election, continues as the country’s first vice president.
The alliance between Chihana’s AFORD and Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) during the elections was pivotal, culminating in Chihana’s elevation to the second vice presidency. According to Malawi’s constitution, the president has the authority to appoint a second vice president; however, only Muluzi and now Mutharika have exercised this power.
Mutharika also reinstated seasoned DPP stalwarts to key Cabinet positions, including George Chaponda as foreign minister and Joseph Mwanamvekha as minister of finance, economic planning, and development. Both previously held these roles during Mutharika’s first presidency from 2014 to 2020.
In military and administrative appointments, former defense deputy commander George Jaffu was named chief of the Malawi Defense Force. Justin Saidi, a retired information secretary, was appointed chief secretary, supported by Stuart Ligomeka, former secretary for local government, as deputy chief secretary.
In new ministerial appointments, Alfred Gangata, DPP Vice President for the Central Region, was named minister of state, while Kiswell Dakamau, with prior senior roles including secretary for education and deputy director for local government, was appointed director of state residences.
Lastly, police commissioner Richard Luhanga has been named the new police inspector general.
This Cabinet announcement signals Mutharika’s strategic consolidation of power with experienced allies and key figures from allied parties as Malawi embarks on his new term.
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