Five Candidates Confirmed for MAM National Chairman Race
After withdrawals, fee controversies and community debate, MAM's leadership contest comes down to five candidates and one vote.
UPDATE: Following the vetting process, three of the five aspirants were approved. See our latest report.
Five candidates will contest the position of National Chairman of the Muslim Association of Malawi when delegates vote on 26 July 2026 at COMESA Hall in Blantyre.
Sheikh Ali Kennedy, chairperson of the Board of Trustees, which is superintending the election, confirmed to Muslim Media Agency that nominations closed on 10 July at 4:00pm with five candidates having submitted complete papers.
The confirmed candidates are Sheikh Idrissa Muhammad, Sheikh Yusuf Chibwana Taimu, Sheikh Umar Nkachelenga, Dr. Imran Shareef Mahomed, and Sheikh Abdul Rahman Arab Allie.
According to him, the election will take place at COMESA Hall in Blantyre on 26 July, beginning at 9:00am.
On the question of the delegates who will vote, Sheikh Kennedy said he believes every candidate already knows who the voters are, because the nomination forms are signed and endorsed by those same people.
The vote follows weeks of debate within the community over the process. Earlier, concern was raised over a K5 million fee tied to the election. Arafat Nkata withdrew from contention on principle over the fee, while Adil Chilungo stepped back to continue serving the community through other bodies, including the Muslim Educators Association and the Islamic Finance Technical Team working with the Reserve Bank.
Sheikh Kennedy has previously sought to reassure delegates that they may endorse or vote for any candidate without consequence, telling Muslim Media Agency in an earlier interview that no delegate would face removal or exclusion for their choice. “It’s their right, it’s their choice,” he said.
Voting on 26 July will bring that process to a close, with the five candidates now before the delegates who will decide.
