Msaka, Makanjira Lose Appeal Over Machinga Likwenu Parliamentary Poll
Published on March 5, 2026 at 2:34 PM by Edgar Naitha
The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal has dismissed an application by former legislator Bright Msaka and independent candidate Macdonald Makanjira challenging a High Court ruling that upheld Tulinje Muluzi as the duly elected member of parliament for Machinga Likwenu Constituency.
Earlier, the Malawi Electoral Commission declared Muluzi, who contested on the ticket of the United Democratic Front, as the winner of the parliamentary race.
However, Msaka and Makanjira petitioned the court seeking a fresh election, claiming the polls were affected by several irregularities.
The High Court dismissed the petition, prompting the two candidates to seek relief from the Supreme Court.
Confirming the development, Muluzi’s lawyer Victor Jere said the application was rejected by a nine-judge panel of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
The panel, led by Deputy Chief Justice Lovemore Chikopa, ruled that the applicants had failed to follow the proper procedures when filing their appeal.
According to the Malawi Electoral Commission results, Muluzi secured 6,027 votes, while Msaka received 3,935 votes and Makanjira obtained 1,551 votes.
