By Owen Phiri
Parliamentary opinion polls conducted by Platform for People’s Welfare in Mzuzu has shown that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) shadow Member of Parliament for Mzuzu City South East Constituency, Bennex Mwamlima, is leading with 34 percent against eight contestants.
Mwamlima represented the constituency in the just-dissolved August House.
Presenting the survey results at a press briefing held today in Mzuzu, the platform research lead Mervin Xumayo who is also Young Human Rights Defenders Network (YHRDN) chairperson said the study employed a stratified random sampling technique to select respondents from different locations within the constituency.
“This research was conducted between 3 and 5 september 2025 in five sample crucial areas of Chiputula, Geisha, Chibanja, Hiltop and Masasa which falls under the aforementioned constituency.
“The survey aimed to understand voter preferences, attitudes, and expectations from candidates contesting for the parliamentary seat in the area and Mwamlima came out the most preferred candidate with 34 percent against the rest,” he said.
He said William Kaweche an independent candidate came second with 23 percent and Catherine Nyangulu of UTM came third with 14 percent.
“We are non-partisan and the findings are true reflection of what we discovered,” aid Nxumayo.
He said they evaluated the survey tools before releasing the results to the public.
According to the findings, Mwamulima’s expected victory is mostly due to his continued presence in Mzuzu, unlike past MPs who moved to Lilongwe after winning.
Respondents also cited his numerous development projects in the city as a key reason behind his popularity.
Reacting to the survey, Mwamulima described the results as a true reflection of the current situation.
“People have confidence in me because of the projects I have delivered in the city such as roads, school blocks, clinics, bridges and rehabilitation of airport among others. They also believe that with a smaller constituency this time, I will be able to transform the area even more,”he said.
Mwamlima added that if re-elected, he plans to pursue major infrastructure projects. These include building a new international airport, an international-standard stadium, and dual carriageways from Admarc to Shoprite and from Mzuzu Roundabout to Dunduzu.
“The current airport is only undergoing rehabilitation. But what we need is a fully-fledged international airport. I will also ensure the construction of an international stadium to give people in the North a chance to watch both local and international matches,” he explained.
PHOTO: Mwamlima
CAPTION: Triumph