Just five years after being dramatically unseated by a court ruling, Peter Mutharika is set to return to power as the president of Malawi.
Mutharika, who held the top job from 2014 to 2020, seems to have triumphed in last week's general election, usurping his long-time rival, President Lazarus Chakwera.
Mutharika told voters on the campaign trail that life was simply better under him—Malawi has experienced one of its worst ever economic downturns since Chakwera took office.
However, the record of 85-year-old Mutharika has its own blemishes, from corruption allegations to the debacle that ended his first presidency.
This is the fourth time he has run for office, but initially, Mutharika did not intend to go into politics. Born in 1940 in 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 Oxford University.
Mutharika went on to become a professor, building expertise in international justice, before pivoting to politics in 2004 when his brother, Bingu, became Malawi's president.
Mutharika mentioned he would not run for office again, but his supporters convinced him to return, citing the suffering of the population since Chakwera's administration. Campaign speeches highlighted the struggles faced by Malawians, questioning whether his leadership could fix the economic turmoil.
Mutharika's comeback raises health concerns regarding his ability to lead again at 85, yet his victory across stronghold regions of his competitor has shown significant voter trust.
While his political career has been eventful, Mutharika's personal life remains relatively quiet. He has three children from his first marriage and recently remarried.
With pressures mounting from inflation exceeding 30%, the nation is poised to see if Mutharika can deliver on promises to restore better times for the people of Malawi.
