Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has reduced the size of his cabinet in a reshuffle that also saw the appointment of seven new faces including an opposition lawmaker.

The list of ministers and deputy ministers has been reduced from 33 to 27, but critics say it is still too large.

The reshuffle was expected following reports that a number of ministers were implicated in a corruption investigation being carried out by Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the UK’s National Crimes Agency.

In his New Year message, President Chakwera had promised to name a new and leaner cabinet.

The list of the new cabinet minister was released on Tuesday at around midnight local time.

Mr Chakwera has not allocated himself a ministerial portfolio as was the case previously. He also did not allocate ministerial responsibilities to his Vice-President Saulos Chilima – who is facing corruption charges that he denies.

The vice-president remains in office because under Malawi law he cannot be sacked.

Senior party members from the ruling coalition were also left out of the new cabinet.