Who is running Malawi? Opposition seeks answers over Mutharika’s trip abroad

• Questions are mounting over the prolonged absence of President Peter Mutharika from Malawi, as the country struggles with fuel shortages, empty hospital shelves and deepening economic hardship.

The opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has accused the government of leaving anxious citizens in the dark.

Speaking in Lilongwe, MCP campaign director Moses Kunkuyu demanded urgent answers about who is steering the country while the President remains on a private trip abroad.

Kunkuyu said Malawians did not challenge the President’s right to attend to personal matters. The problem, he said, was a lack of communication from those in power.

“The issue is not that the President has travelled,” he said. “The issue is that people are suffering and want reassurance that somebody is in charge.”

Motorists are spending hours in fuel queues, and patients are struggling to obtain essential medicines, Kunkuyu said.

He argued that citizens were entitled to know what action the government was taking to address the crises.

The MCP also directed its criticism at Vice-President Jane Ansah, accusing her of remaining silent as uncertainty grows.

Kunkuyu said she should step forward to assure the nation that the government remains functional and has a clear strategy to resolve the country’s problems.

The remarks come amid mounting concern over the economy, as many Malawians face rising living costs and shortages of key goods and services.

The opposition’s message is simple: citizens want answers. Until they receive them, questions about the President’s absence are unlikely to fade.