The National Advocacy Platform (NAP) has given President Peter Mutharika’s first year in office a cautious pass, but warned that his administration must now move from promises and policy announcements to results that ordinary Malawians can feel.
In an assessment signed by NAP Chairperson Benedicto Kondowe and National Coordinator Baxton Nkhoma, the organisation says Government has laid some foundations for economic recovery but faces major unresolved challenges.
NAP says inflation has fallen from 28.2 percent in August 2025 to 20 percent in August 2026, while food inflation dropped to 13.4 percent.
But the organisation says the improvement has not yet translated into sufficient relief for households, with non-food inflation still at 31.8 percent and the cost of living remaining high.
“Foundations for recovery are emerging, but delivery must now accelerate,” Kondowe and Nkhoma say in the assessment.
They warn that forex shortages, fuel supply problems, unreliable electricity and high public debt continue to threaten the country’s economic recovery.
NAP also raises concerns over agriculture, particularly the threat of climate shocks. It calls for an early El Niño food-response plan, expanded irrigation, drought-tolerant crops and climate-smart agriculture.
The organisation further points to persistent shortages of medicines, equipment and health personnel, despite increased government spending on the sector.
On corruption, NAP acknowledges Government’s stated commitment and measures such as electronic procurement and ongoing ACB investigations. However, it says the prolonged absence of a substantive Anti-Corruption Bureau Director General remains an institutional gap.
Kondowe and Nkhoma say the second year must be different.
“The test from the second year and beyond must therefore shift decisively from announcements and intentions to implementation, consistency and independently verifiable results,” they state.
They say emerging stability must translate into jobs and incomes, reliable energy and fuel, affordable food, quality education and healthcare, stronger institutions and improved living standards.
NAP concludes that Mutharika’s first year has created an opportunity—but says the value of those foundations will ultimately be judged by what Government delivers in the lives of Malawians.
