Malawi: Onjezani Kenani - 'Malawians Have Sent a Strong Message - Take Them for Granted, They Will Kick You Out'

Prominent social media influencer and writer Onjezani Kenani has spoken out following the unfolding election results, stressing that his celebration is not about the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) returning to power but about Malawians asserting their democratic will.

In a candid post on Friday, Kenani clarified: "Let me make it very clear. I'm not celebrating the reincarnation of the DPP. I am under no illusions whatsoever that the DPP has changed. I'm afraid, in fact, that corruption and nepotism will be alive and well."

Kenani predicted that the same DPP supporters cheering him now will soon turn on him, just as Malawi Congress Party (MCP) loyalists had done before, dismissing him with the popular refrain, "Imwani Panadol, muchira."

For him, the real cause for celebration is the power of the people: "What I am celebrating is the fact that Malawians have sent a strong message, that if you take them for granted, they will kick you out. Malawians have said to thieves, 'get out!"'

Kenani cautioned that the warning applies equally to both the DPP and MCP, adding: "If the DPP takes Malawians for fools, it too will be kicked out five years from now. This is the aspect of our democracy I am most proud of. This is why I'm celebrating."

Kenani's remarks come at a politically tense moment, with the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) still verifying results from the 2025 elections amid heightened claims and counterclaims from the country's two biggest parties.

Independent polls had earlier projected a close race between President Lazarus Chakwera's MCP and the opposition DPP, led by former President Peter Mutharika and his running mate Atupele Muluzi. The DPP has already declared that "the people's will is protected" and has signaled confidence in victory, while MEC has stressed that only it has the legal mandate to announce official results after full verification.

Kenani's post is widely read as a sober reminder of Malawi's democratic maturity -- that beyond partisan triumphs, citizens are using the ballot box to hold leaders accountable.

Read the original article on Nyasa Times.