GCK Warns Police Against Political Bias, Urges DPP to Protect Neutrality Amid Senior Redeployment

Malawian Social media influencer and political commentator Gerald Chavez Kampanikiza (GCK) has called on police officers to uphold neutrality and avoid political allegiance, saying the service must exist to protect the state  not please politicians.

His remarks come amid the redeployment of senior Malawi Police officers  including commissioners  into the mainstream civil service, a decision that has ignited national conversation on the political positioning of law-enforcement agencies.

Writing on his Facebook page Today, Kampanikiza said some police officers have increasingly projected themselves as political actors aligned to the ruling administration, often influenced by party and regional interests.

He said the redeployment should serve as a lesson that political power is never permanent.

“Many police officers behave as if they are part of the ruling party, forgetting there is tomorrow. What will happen when things change? Where will you stand?” he wrote.

Kampanikiza also appealed directly to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)  the political regime currently governing the country, to treat the moment as an opportunity to secure institutional neutrality instead of using internal police disputes for political advantage.

He argued that moving commissioners out of the force is not enough, saying the real solution lies in reforms that affirm the police as an independent public institution, insulated from political pressure.

“Redeploying commissioners is not the answer. If there are mistakes in the police, this is the time to correct them,” he said, stressing that DPP must consider strengthening safeguards to support a politically impartial police service.

The commentator also noted that political interferences have seeded internal fractures inside the police body, where officers reportedly fight each other through political proxies   blaming, accusing and counter-accusing one another in battles that ultimately benefit politicians.

He further encouraged redeployed senior officers to pursue internal resolution channels, including requesting an audience with the Inspector General of Police or relevant ministers, rather than resorting to public political confrontation.

Malawian authorities have not issued a position on Kampanikiza’s remarks, but the post has stimulated widespread online engagement, particularly among young Malawians weighing in on questions of police credibility, institutional reform and political boundaries in security agencies.