The United Democratic Front (UDF) has dismissed claims circulating on social media suggesting that the party has formed an alliance with the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) or endorsed candidates from other parties ahead of the upcoming by-elections scheduled for March 17, 2026.
In a media release issued on March 9, UDF Secretary General Genarino Lemani stated that the party has not entered into any political partnership with the MCP and is only supporting candidates running under the UDF banner in the ward and parliamentary contests.
The statement follows a political rally held over the weekend in Mtakataka where MCP supporters gathered. During the event, several individuals were reportedly seen wearing UDF regalia while endorsing Patrick Bandawe, an aspiring shadow member of Parliament, in the presence of MCP campaign director Moses Kunkuyu.
According to Lemani, the appearance of people in UDF colours at the rally created speculation online that the former governing party had struck a political arrangement with MCP. However, he said the party has no involvement in the endorsements that were reportedly made at the event.
“The UDF has strongly distanced itself from these claims,” Lemani said in the statement, adding that the party has launched an internal investigation to establish the circumstances under which individuals wearing its regalia appeared to support a candidate from another party.
He said the party would take disciplinary action against anyone found to have misrepresented UDF’s official position.
The clarification comes at a politically sensitive time as parties prepare for the March 17 by-elections.
By-elections in Malawi often attract intense attention because they test party popularity between general elections and sometimes reshape local political dynamics.
UDF insists its focus remains on campaigning for its own candidates in the upcoming by-elections and maintaining its independent political identity.
The party said the results of its internal inquiry will determine whether any members violated party rules or misrepresented the organization during the Mtakataka rally.
