Ben Malunga Phiri

Ben Malunga Phiri is Malawi’s Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, appointed in October 2025. He held the same ministry before, from 2019 to June 2020, in Peter Mutharika’s first government.

He was the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Director of Elections for the 2019 campaign, and he has represented Thyolo Central in Parliament. In December 2021, while in opposition, he was arrested and granted bail in a case over payments of K262 million from the Ministry of Gender to his company for early childhood learning materials.

Thyolo chiefs welcomed his return to the Cabinet in 2025 alongside two other Thyolo MPs, Mary Navicha and Chimwemwe Chipungu. As minister he has argued that a 30 km road to the lakeshore village of Usisya would open it up for tourism and farming.

Ben Malunga Phiri is the Member of Parliament for Thyolo Central constituency in Thyolo district, in Malawi’s Southern Region. He sits as a member of the DPP. In the 16 September 2025 general election Phiri won the seat with 26,848 votes (87.5% of valid votes), ahead of Blessings Failos Office (Independent) with 3,462. 3 candidates stood.