Zomba Mountain in Malawi is an aquifer that harbours significant riparian vegetation that plays different roles in stabilizing the surrounding ecosystem. The Mulunguzi River has enormous remnant riparian vegetation which influences the purification of water that is abstracted for household usage in Zomba City. This study explored riparian vegetation along the Mulunguzi River to discover the variation in its composition and distribution on river’s courses. The riparian vegetation was studied in their environment using the belt transect method in 18 sampled plots (6 on each course). Nested quadrats of different sizes were demarcated within the main plot to study trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Three riparian communities were discovered that comprised 151 species, belonging to 24 families and were dominated by the Fabaceae family. The riparian vegetation was dominated by Herbaceous plant species (44.4%) followed by trees (32.5%). Analysis by the Shannon-Weiner diversity index showed high diversity of riparian vegetation on all river courses that decreased on moving downstream.