Dowa is a town located in the Central Region of Malawi. It is the administrative capital of Dowa District. William Kamkwamba, author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope, was born and raised in Dowa.
During the 2019 Malawian general election five MPs in Dowa failed to be re-elected but Halima Daud and fellow former deputy minister Abel Kayembe both won back their seats.
Dowa has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cwb).