Backed by a famous surname but hindered by it too, Atupele enters Malawi’s high-stakes election carrying the weight of history. His candidacy may determine if the UDF can be reborn or fade into political memory.

By Collins Mtika

In Malawi’s politics, where family legacies loom large, few names carry as much weight as Muluzi.

It is a name tied to the birth of multiparty democracy but also to the patronage networks that have long defined political culture.

Now, as Malawi prepares for a pivotal election, Atupele Muluzi, son of former president Bakili Muluzi, is stepping back into the presidential race, forcing the nation to reckon with its complicated relationship to his family’s legacy.

After a brief hiatus, Atupele has reclaimed leadership of the United Democratic Front (UDF), the party his father founded.

He casts himself as a forward-looking reformist, ready to tackle an economic crisis that has left more than a quarter of Malawians food-insecure, as inflation soars and debt balloons.

His platform emphasizes economic diversification, youth empowerment, and clean governance.

Yet his challenge is steep: to persuade voters that he represents genuine change, not simply a return to old habits under a familiar name.

A Party in decline

Atupele’s career is inseparable from the UDF’s long slide. Once the powerhouse that toppled one-party rule in 1994, the party has since dwindled into near-irrelevance.

Its stronghold in the Eastern Region has been steadily chipped away, first by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and more recently by shifting alliances.

An August 2024 Afrobarometer poll put UDF support at just 2%, compared to the DPP’s 43% and the MCP’s 29%.

Atupele’s electoral record reflects this collapse. He won 13.7% in the 2014 presidential race, but by 2019 his share had dropped to 4.67%, the same year he lost his parliamentary seat.

His stint as Peter Mutharika’s running mate in the 2020 rerun election ended in humiliation, with the alliance drawing fewer votes than Mutharika had on his own the year before.

Critics, such as the Shire Times, have branded him a “political disappointment,” arguing that despite his privileged platform, he has failed to deliver a legacy or revive the UDF.

Still, the party’s National Executive Committee unanimously endorsed him as presidential candidate for 2025, later confirmed at a convention.

Spokesperson Yusuf Mwawa highlighted his “clean reputation” and the absence of corruption scandals as the UDF’s greatest asset. Atupele himself insists: “I am my own man.”

A moderate amid polarisation

At 46, Atupele offers a generational contrast to Malawi’s ageing rivals: incumbent Lazarus Chakwera and former president Peter Mutharika.

His supporters argue he represents a pragmatic, centrist alternative in a political field dominated by bitterness and distrust.

With extensive cabinet experience under multiple administrations, he frames himself as a steady hand. His “Agenda for a New Malawi” centres on food security, energy expansion, and education reform.

He has accused the Chakwera government of edging toward authoritarianism, citing intimidation of critics, a charge dismissed by Homeland Security Minister Ezekiel Ching’oma, who challenged him to provide proof.

Coalition politics may be Atupele’s strongest card. Under Malawi’s 50%+1 rule, no candidate is likely to win outright.

While he has ruled out an alliance with the MCP and insists on contesting independently, he has left the door open to collaboration.

He has also accused the DPP of dragging its feet on unity talks, haunted by the memory of Joyce Banda’s rise after Bingu wa Mutharika’s death.

Analyst Ernest Thindwa observes that even if the UDF cannot win, running solo allows it to “assess the size of its electoral appeal”, useful leverage for future negotiations.

Haunted by the Family Name

Yet Atupele’s greatest obstacle may be his surname.

Bakili Muluzi’s controversial bid for a third term in the early 2000s left scars on Malawi’s democracy, and his enduring presence as UDF patron keeps the family shadow alive.

Atupele’s political comebacks have also been messy.

His return from a brief retirement sparked internal resistance, with acting party leader Lilian Patel initially opposing his reinstatement. Rebuilding UDF’s grassroots machinery into a national force will take more than nostalgia.

Critics question whether his cabinet record shows any transformative achievements. While he speaks of dismantling poverty systems and creating a Sovereign Wealth Fund, his rhetoric has yet to inspire a mass movement.

In a country weary of elites, his ties to past administrations may prove a liability. His choice of Dr Rex Kalolo as running mate could broaden appeal, but whether it will expand the UDF’s reach beyond its shrinking base remains uncertain.

The Weight of Inheritance

As September 16 draws near, Atupele Muluzi stands at a crossroads. He is a candidate with instant name recognition, a relatively clean reputation, and a platform addressing urgent national needs.

Yet he is tethered to a party in decline and a legacy both empowering and toxic.

The 2025 election is shaping up as a battle of familiar faces, each burdened by broken promises and corruption scandals.

Amid them, Atupele offers the possibility of a new kind of politics, but only if he can persuade Malawians that he is not merely the son of a president, but a leader in his own right.

The verdict in September will decide more than his own future. It will determine whether the UDF has a future at all.