IG Luhanga Flexes Authority in Sweeping Police Shake-Up
Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga has wasted no time stamping his authority on the Malawi Police Service, rolling out a sweeping reshuffle that signals a decisive shift in the command structure barely a week after Parliament confirmed him as the country’s top cop.
In a force order issued Wednesday (No. 19-SER 19/11/2025), Luhanga redrew the leadership map of the service—from Headquarters down to regional command—sending a clear message that he intends to take full control of the institution and reposition it for stronger operational discipline and administrative accountability.
This is the most extensive and assertive shake-up in recent years, and insiders say it reflects Luhanga’s push to consolidate command and ensure that every strategic post is held by officers aligned with his vision for a more efficient, firmer, and more responsive police service.
At the centre of the reshuffle is the dramatic elevation of Commissioner of Police Chikondi Ng’oma, who has been moved from the Central East Region in Kasungu to Police Headquarters to take up the role of Deputy Inspector General (Administration) – Designate. Ng’oma’s posting places him at the nerve centre of human resource and logistical decision-making, a move widely interpreted as Luhanga tightening the administrative machinery behind him.
The ripple effects extend across all six policing regions as Luhanga rotates seasoned commanders and injects fresh leadership where he believes systems have weakened or stagnated.
In Lilongwe, CP Lusekelo Mwakalobo—previously the South West Regional Commissioner—has now taken charge of the crucial Central Region, a politically sensitive policing area that often sets the tone for national security operations. Luhanga’s repositioning of Mwakalobo shows the growing premium he is placing on experienced hands in high-pressure regions.
A chain of senior officers has been moved to reinforce regional structures:
•DCP Zikani Dube and DCP Tiyanjane Mbewe have been reassigned to various Regional Deputy Commissioner positions across Central East, Central West and the South.
•DCP Robert Kumwenda leaves Mzuzu for Zomba to take over as Eastern Region Deputy Commissioner.
•SACP Mavuto Banda is now the Northern Region’s Deputy Commissioner, while SACP Tamanda Chilima assumes the same role in the Central West.
Luhanga has also fortified his inner circle. SACP Chimwemwe Nkhwazi is now Staff Officer to the Inspector General—a strategic post that places him at the IG’s elbow and deep inside the decision-making engine room.
Technology and training—two pillars Luhanga has publicly pledged to upgrade—have also seen significant changes. SSP Felix Nyirenda becomes Acting Director of IT, signalling a push toward modernising the service’s digital backbone. Meanwhile, ACP Rhoda Jere heads to Blantyre as the new Police Training School Commandant, a move expected to strengthen training discipline and professional standards.
Administration, logistics and district command have also been tightened. ACP Dalitso Phiri returns to Headquarters as Deputy Director of Administration, while SSP Brenda Msowoya and SP Mwai Kamanga take over as Officers-in-Charge in Central West and the Southern Region. IP Limbani Gondwe joins Headquarters as a Finance Officer—another sensitive role Luhanga appears keen to secure with trusted personnel.
Taken together, the reshuffle reads like a calculated consolidation of power: strategic posts secured, weak spots reinforced, and Luhanga’s imprint unmistakably stamped across the Police Service. Officers close to the process describe it as the opening act of a police chief determined to recalibrate a system long criticised for internal inconsistencies and command fragility.
If the force order is anything to go by, IG Luhanga has made his position clear: this is now his Police Service, and he intends to run it on his terms.
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