By Lyson Swala
One year may not be enough to transform a country completely, but the period since President Peter Mutharika and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) returned to power in October 2025 has brought a number of developments that show the country is beginning to move in a different direction.
From improved fuel availability and food supplies to free secondary education, efforts to control government expenditure and renewed attention to economic recovery, there are several areas that deserve recognition.
One of the most noticeable changes has been improved fuel availability.
Malawians have generally experienced fewer of the prolonged queues and shortages that characterised the previous period.
Although fuel prices and foreign-exchange challenges remain concerns, better availability has provided some relief to motorists, businesses and the general economy.
Mutharika during swearing-in-ceremony
The economy has also shown some signs of improvement. Inflation has declined from the levels recorded when the new administration took office, while the availability and prices of maize have also improved.
These developments do not mean that the cost-of-living crisis is over, but they provide some indication that efforts to stabilise the economy are beginning to produce results.
Food security is another area where Malawians have seen a difference.
The availability of maize has improved, with prices falling from the extremely high levels experienced previously.
For a country where maize is the main staple food, greater availability and affordability can make a significant difference to ordinary households.
The introduction of free public secondary education is also an important policy development.
Removing secondary school fees has the potential to allow more children from poorer households to remain in school.
However, government must ensure that the policy is accompanied by enough classrooms, teachers, learning materials and other resources so that increased enrolment does not compromise the quality of education.
The administration has also placed greater emphasis on controlling unnecessary government expenditure.
Reducing non-essential spending and improving financial discipline are important at a time when Malawi is dealing with high debt and limited resources.
The challenge now is to ensure that savings from expenditure controls are directed towards sectors that directly benefit ordinary Malawians.
Agriculture and local development have also received renewed attention, including increased resources for constituency-level development.
If properly managed, such funding can help communities address pressing needs such as roads, water, schools, health facilities and other basic infrastructure.
Strong transparency and accountability will, however, be essential to ensure that the resources reach their intended beneficiaries.
Electricity remains one of the major areas where the DPP administration needs to improve.
Frequent power interruptions continue to affect households, businesses, industries and public institutions.
While government has announced measures to increase generation capacity and rehabilitate existing power infrastructure, Malawians need to see a more reliable electricity supply in their daily lives.
The administration should therefore treat energy as an urgent national priority because reliable electricity is fundamental to industrialisation, job creation and economic growth.
The government must also avoid becoming complacent about the improvements recorded so far.
Malawi continues to face serious challenges, including high inflation, unemployment, foreign-exchange shortages, public debt and poverty.
Improvements in selected areas will only become meaningful if they are sustained and translated into better living standards for ordinary citizens across the country.
Overall, the first year of the Mutharika-DPP administration presents a mixed but notable picture.
There are areas where progress can be seen, particularly fuel availability, food supplies, education policy and efforts towards fiscal discipline, while electricity remains a major weakness requiring urgent attention.
If the government can consolidate the gains already made, address the remaining challenges and ensure that development reaches ordinary Malawians, the country can continue moving towards a more stable and productive future.
