History of Mangochi

The British gunboat Gwendolen was built in Mangochi in 1897. At 340 short tons (310 t), it was the largest ship to sail on Lake Malawi until being scrapped shortly after World War II. The gunboat, operated by the Protectorate of Nyasaland, scored an early success in World War I when it defeated the German vessel Hermann von Wissmann in August 1914.

Rioting in June 2003 injured three people. From March to November 2007, roughly 480 children were "rescued" from child labor on tobacco farms in Mangochi. In July 2008, elephants terrorized areas around Maldeco Fisheries in Mangochi and caused several deaths and damage to