Low turnout sparks fears of voter disengagement

By Pemphero Malimba; The biggest story from Tuesday's by-elections was not who won, but who stayed away. With fewer than four in 10 registered voters casting their ballots, electoral stakeholders say growing public disillusionment with political leaders is fuelling voter disengagement, despite the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) declaring the polls free and credible. Mec Thursday announced the official results of the by-elections held in three constituencies and two wards. According to the commission, 50,816 of the 133,362 registered voters cast their ballots, representing a turnout of 38.1 per cent. The commission declared Malawi Congress Party candidate Precious Kabambe winner of the Lilongwe City Bwaila parliamentary by-election while independent candidate Ishmael Japan won the Machinga Mikoko seat. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate James Makhumula secured the Balaka Mulunguzi parliamentary seat. In the ward elections, People's Party candidate Robert Kondowe won the Uliwa Ward by-election while DPP candidate Ali Lali Atwabi won the Kanjuli Ward by-election. "We are satisfied that the by-elections were conducted in an environment where the electorate were free to elect candidates of their choice without fear or intimidation," Mec chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said. National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust Programmes Officer Christopher Naphiyo attributed the low turnout to declining public confidence in political leadership and government responsiveness. "It is clear that many citizens, especially young people, perceive the majority of politicians as untrustworthy, contributing to disengagement from electoral participation," Naphiyo said. He said findings from Nice Trust's voter apathy studies conducted in 2005 and 2025 suggest many Malawians remain frustrated by the performance of elected leaders. Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe also expressed concern over the low turnout, saying it reflected declining civic engagement and increasing voter apathy. "There is a perception among voters that by-elections do not significantly influence national governance. "There is also political fatigue and public disillusionment, with citizens feeling less motivated to participate because of persistent socio-economic challenges," Kondowe said.

WIRE — By Pemphero Malimba; The biggest story from Tuesday's by-elections was not who won, but who stayed away. With fewer than four in 10 registered voters casting their ballots, electoral stakeholders say growing public disillusionment with political leaders is fuelling voter disengagement, despite the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) declaring the polls free and credible. Mec Thursday announced the official results of the by-elections held in three constituencies and two wards. According to the commission, 50,816 of the 133,362 registered voters cast their ballots, representing a turnout of 38.1 per cent. The commission declared Malawi Congress Party candidate Precious Kabambe winner of the Lilongwe City Bwaila parliamentary by-election while independent candidate Ishmael Japan won the Machinga Mikoko seat. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate James Makhumula secured the Balaka Mulunguzi parliamentary seat. In the ward elections, People's Party candidate Robert Kondowe won the Uliwa Ward by-election while DPP candidate Ali Lali Atwabi won the Kanjuli Ward by-election. "We are satisfied that the by-elections were conducted in an environment where the electorate were free to elect candidates of their choice without fear or intimidation," Mec chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said. National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust Programmes Officer Christopher Naphiyo attributed the low turnout to declining public confidence in political leadership and government responsiveness. "It is clear that many citizens, especially young people, perceive the majority of politicians as untrustworthy, contributing to disengagement from electoral participation," Naphiyo said. He said findings from Nice Trust's voter apathy studies conducted in 2005 and 2025 suggest many Malawians remain frustrated by the performance of elected leaders. Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe also expressed concern over the low turnout, saying it reflected declining civic engagement and increasing voter apathy. "There is a perception among voters that by-elections do not significantly influence national governance. "There is also political fatigue and public disillusionment, with citizens feeling less motivated to participate because of persistent socio-economic challenges," Kondowe said.

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