Chihana’s Swearing-In Stalls—Blue Alliance Left Guessing

The much-anticipated swearing-in of Second Vice-President-designate Enoch Chihana has been pushed to an unknown date, sparking whispers of tension and delay within the newly formed Blue Alliance government.

Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi confirmed on Sunday that Chihana will only take his oath after President Peter Mutharika finalizes his full Cabinet lineup, though he could not say when that will be.

“We will advise the public once everything is ready,” Saidi said. “For now, I cannot say when that will be because he will be sworn in along with a set of other ministers.”

The clarification comes after the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) initially announced that Chihana would be sworn in on October 8, alongside 11 other appointees—including three Cabinet ministers and senior government officials. But that ceremony came and went without Chihana taking the oath.

The Alliance for Democracy (Aford), which partnered Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under the Blue Alliance ahead of the September 16 General Election, now finds itself waiting in the wings.

Aford spokesperson Annie Amatullah Maluwa confirmed the party is “still waiting for communication” from government on the new date and venue of the ceremony.

“As a party we are preparing for the event. It is a big day for Aford and the country,” she said, adding that the combination of Mutharika, Jane Ansah, and Chihana “will deliver results for Malawians.”

But political watchers say the delay is raising eyebrows. Was it a logistical hiccup—or are there deeper cracks in the Blue Alliance partnership?

Mutharika appointed Chihana on October 5, 2025, fulfilling a power-sharing promise made during the alliance negotiations. The appointment is grounded in Section 80(5) of the Constitution, which allows the President to name a Second Vice-President “where he considers it desirable in the national interest.” The appointee must come from an opposition party.

Unlike the First Vice-President, who is elected on the same ticket as the President, the Second Vice-President serves at the President’s discretion—and can be dismissed at any time.

Enoch Chihana now steps into a historic role once held by his late father, Thom Chakufwa Chihana, who served as Second Vice-President under Bakili Muluzi in the 1990s.

For now, though, Malawi waits—and so does Chihana—wondering what’s really holding up the oath.

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