One year into President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s return to power,a review of key areas of national life gives his administration an overall score of 31.6 percent, according to the scorecard being used by Malawi Cables Online.
The assessment credits the government for progress in food security, free education, inflation management, and limiting presidential travel, while giving it failing marks on forex availability, medicines, fuel, electricity, water, corruption, the cost of living, fertilizer affordability, LPG supplies, infrastructure, healthcare, governance, security and regional distribution of opportunities.
The scorecard is an editorial assessment rather than an official government performance audit.
However, several of the areas identified as weaknesses are reflected in recent independent reports and official statistics.
FOOD SECURITY: YES — BUT FRAGILE
Food security is one of the strongest areas on the scorecard.
The 2025/26 agricultural season produced a significant improvement compared with the previous year, and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification estimates that 1.9 million people were experiencing Crisis-level food insecurity between April and September 2026, an improvement from the previous two years.
However, the improvement remains vulnerable. The World Bank says food security remains fragile and increasingly dependent on imports, while FEWS NET reports that maize prices increased from an average of K740 per kilogram in June to K775 in July.
The scorecard therefore gives the government a YES on food security, while recognising that maintaining the gains will be a major challenge.
FOREX: NO
Foreign exchange remains one of Malawi’s biggest economic problems.
The World Bank says official reserves remain below one month of import cover and that distortions in the foreign exchange market continue to constrain imports and economic activity.
Economic experts have similarly warned that foreign exchange shortages are restricting imports of fuel, medicines and agricultural inputs.
The problem has also affected importation of drugs , fuel , other essentials and LPG supplies, making forex availability one of the most important determinants of whether households and businesses can access basic commodities.
MEDICINES AND HEALTHCARE: NO
The situation in the public health system remains particularly concerning.
Recent reporting indicates that public hospitals have faced severe shortages of essential medicines. Nation Online reported in late September that medicine availability at Central Medical Stores Trust had fallen to 40 percent, against a target range of 55–65 percent, while CMST reportedly owed international suppliers about US$18 million.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Malawi has also called for direct importation of medicines by CMST following shortages of essential drugs, including blood-pressure medicines and painkillers.
This provides substantial evidence behind the scorecard’s NO on medical drugs and supplies and NO on improved healthcare.
FUEL SUPPLY: NO
Fuel availability remains closely linked to Malawi’s foreign-exchange crisis.
NOCMA chief executive Emmanuel Matapa recently told parliamentary committees that forex shortages were hindering fuel imports and contributing to queues at filling stations. He said Malawi faces a persistent gap between the foreign currency it generates and what is required for imports.
Others had earlier warned that fuel shortages could persist through January 2027 because of foreign-exchange constraints.
ELECTRICITY: NO
Electricity remains another major weakness.
The World Bank identifies unreliable electricity as one of the structural constraints holding back investment, productivity and economic growth.
In August, ESCOM experienced a nationwide system shutdown, while later that month the utility reported available generation of about 347MW against peak demand of 430MW, leaving an 83MW evening peak shortfall.
The scorecard consequently gives electricity a clear NO.
WATER SUPPLY: NO
Water supply has also remained problematic.
Residents in parts of Lilongwe reported going for several days without reliable tap water in September, with some relying on boreholes and wells. The Lilongwe Water Board attributed interruptions partly to demand exceeding available capacity and technical challenges.
The Blantyre Water Board has meanwhile faced serious financial pressure, including a K1.6 billion electricity bill that resulted in an ESCOM disconnection warning.
FERTILIZER: NO
The government’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme remains a major intervention, but affordability and access to inputs remain concerns.
The government launched the 2026/27 FISP with a budget of K140 billion, targeting more than 1.2 million beneficiaries.
However, experts warned that foreign-exchange constraints are expected to keep fertilizer and certified-seed prices above average.
The question, therefore, is not simply whether government has a subsidy programme, but whether farmers can reliably access affordable inputs at the scale required.
INFLATION: YES — WITH A BIG QUALIFICATION
This is one area where the administration can point to measurable improvement.
According to the National Statistical Office, headline inflation fell from 28.2 percent in August 2025 to 20.0 percent in August 2026. July 2026 inflation was 20.8 percent.
That supports the scorecard’s YES — Tamed Inflation.
But 20 percent inflation is still extremely high by normal standards. Food prices continue to exert pressure on households, while non-food inflation stood at 31.8 percent in August.
So the government has slowed the rate at which prices are rising, but it has not necessarily made life cheap for ordinary Malawians.
COST OF LIVING: NO
This distinction is important.
Lower inflation does not mean lower prices. It means prices are increasing more slowly.
The World Bank says food prices continue to pressure households, while fuel, electricity and exchange-rate pressures continue to drive non-food inflation.
For many households, therefore, the NO on cost of living can coexist with the YES on inflation.
LPG: NO
The LPG situation has deteriorated enough to become another visible sign of the forex problem.
In September, LPG users in Blantyre reported going for weeks without finding gas. The LPG Association subsequently called for foreign exchange to be prioritised for LPG imports.
Government officials have acknowledged the need to develop LPG reserves to prevent future disruptions.
CORRUPTION AND GOVERNANCE: NO
The administration came into office promising a tougher approach to corruption.
In June, speaking on behalf of President Mutharika at a SADC anti-corruption conference, Justice Minister Charles Mhango described corruption as one of the country’s greatest development barriers.
But the government’s anti-corruption credentials have faced major tests.
The ACB reopened investigations into the Amaryllis Hotel transaction, including the withdrawal of approximately K5.5 billion in cash from a Yusuf Investments account. The Bureau said it was tracing the money trail and profiling individuals suspected of benefiting from the transaction.
The existence of investigations does not establish wrongdoing by those involved, but the controversy has undoubtedly created a test for the administration’s promise to fight corruption.
FREE EDUCATION: YES
Education is one of the clearer positives.
The Ministry of Education says government abolished the School Development Fund and examination-related fees in public schools in January 2026, building on the free secondary education policy.
MBC’s review of the first year also reported an increase in secondary-school enrolment following the removal of fees.
PRESIDENTIAL TRAVEL: YES
The scorecard also gives Mutharika credit for limiting presidential travel.
MBC reported that government figures put Mutharika’s first-year foreign presidential travel at zero, contrasting this with the number of trips attributed to the previous administration.
Whether this translates into measurable economic savings is a separate question, but in terms of the scorecard’s criterion, the administration receives a YES.
THE BIG PICTURE
The World Bank’s latest assessment provides perhaps the clearest independent context for the scorecard.
It says Malawi’s economy is showing modest signs of adjustment, with fiscal consolidation underway, but growth remains too weak to deliver meaningful improvements in living standards. Foreign-exchange shortages, unreliable electricity, weak supply chains and high inflation continue to constrain the economy.
That produces a complicated first-year picture.
Mutharika’s government can point to genuine gains in food availability, education and inflation moderation, while critics can point to persistent shortages of forex, fuel, medicines, electricity, water and LPG, alongside continuing concerns over the cost of living and corruption.
The result, according to the Cables scorecard, is 31.6 percent , a low first-year performance rating and a warning that the government has four more years to convert promises into improvements that ordinary Malawians can actually feel.
MALAWI CABLES SCORECARD CRITERIA FOR A 31.6%
YES: Selected gains in food security, education, inflation and presidential travel.
NO: Major challenges remain in forex, fuel, medicines, electricity, water, fertilizer, healthcare, governance, corruption, LPG, infrastructure and the cost of living.
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