Peter Mutharika

Peter Mutharika is the President of Malawi, in office since 4 October 2025. He was also the fifth President, from 31 May 2014 to 28 June 2020, and has led the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) since 2012.

His full name is Arthur Peter Mutharika. He was born on 18 July 1940 in Thyolo district, the son of two teachers, and went to Dedza Secondary School. He studied law at the University of London, graduating in 1965, and then at Yale University in the United States, where he earned a master’s degree and a doctorate in law.

Most of his working life was spent as a law professor. He taught in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and the United States, including 37 years at Washington University in St. Louis, specialising in international and comparative constitutional law. He is the younger brother of Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawi’s third President.

He entered Parliament in 2009 as MP for Thyolo East and served in his brother’s Cabinet as Minister of Justice, then Education, then Foreign Affairs. He won the presidency in 2014. Saulos Chilima and later Everton Chimulirenji served as his Vice Presidents in that first spell. The Constitutional Court annulled his 2019 win and he lost the 2020 re-run to Lazarus Chakwera.

He returned to office after winning the September 2025 election. Sworn in at 85, he is the oldest person to take office as President of Malawi. Jane Ansah is his Vice President and Enock Chihana his Second Vice President.