Kabambe gets into UTM fold

Former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential aspirant Dalitso Kabambe yesterday joined UTM Party with a promise to help the grouping win the 2025 General Elections, effectively confirming earlier speculation about his political direction.

While speculation was rife the past week that the former Reserve Bank of Malawi governor was tipped to slide into the shoes of the fallen charismatic Vice-President Saulos Chilima as UTM Party president, Kabambe yesterday said he had joined as “an ordinary member” and not to grab the top leadership spot.

Speaking when UTM officials welcomed him into their fold at Masambanjati in Thyolo South West Constituency, he said he believes that Malawians will in the September 16 2025 General Elections give UTM Party a chance to form government.

Said Kabambe: “UTM Party wants to focus on dealing with ending hunger so that people can afford to have three meals a day.

“Currently, here in the Southern Region in general, there is acute hunger. I am looking forward to a government that will address the issue [of food security] permanently.”

He said UTM wants to transform the country from poverty to prosperity and he was ready to help the party achieve that goal.

“We will do that through establishment of factories, improving agriculture, mining, tourism and many other areas that will create many and better paying jobs,” said Kabambe, who is an economist.

As RBM Governor, Kabambo, 50, was an indispensable member of the Government Economic Management Team for Malawi under President Peter Mutharika between 2017 and 2020.

The married father of three holds a PhD and a Master’s Degree in Development Economics from the University of London’s Imperial College in the United Kingdom as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Malawi.

Soon after graduating from Unima in 1998, Kabambe joined the government’s Economic Service, rising steadily to principal economist, chief economist, deputy director of economic planning and then budget director in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development.

He later moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as its Principal Secretary before Mutharika tapped him to head RBM until then newly-elected President Lazarus Chakwera replaced him with Wilson Banda in 2020.

In Thyolo yesterday, Kabambe was welcomed into UTM Party by secretary general Patricia Kaliati, spokesperson Felix Njawala and other party officials.

During the ceremony, Kaliati said despite Kabambe joining the party, their leader remained the country’s Vice-President Michael Usi.

She said: “Our leader is Dr. Usi, the party constitution is clear on this. Dr. Kabambe is here as an ordinary member, he is not here as a president. We will use his skills and talents just like any member that will be joining.

“He may have had presidential ambitions in the DPP, but he is here as an ordinary member. Maybe he was being misused in DPP, but in UTM we will benefit from him.”

But while both Kaliati and Njawala recognised Kabambe as a well-educated and capable person to help take UTM Party to greater heights, political pundits said the party was divided following Chilima’s death and cautioned it against being infiltrated by people from other parties.

Political pundit Wonderful Mkhutche said it was clear that the UTM Party was now divided into two camps, one led by Usi and the other by Kaliati and Njawala.

He, therefore, urged the UTM leadership to expedite the holding of its convention to elect leaders to lead the party into the next election.

But Mkhutche was quick to say that Kabambe has an opportunity to impress.

He said: “Dr. Kabambe seems to have a passion for his ideas and he seems to be well-organised. Further, some UTM supporters seem to be positive about him and that alone is a huge advantage for him to make it if he decides to fight for the party’s leadership.

“Dr. Usi is now the bona fide leader, but seemingly, a section of the party is not convinced. Therefore, he will need more to retain the leadership. Some UTM supporters think Dr. Usi has tilted towards MCP and is not UTM enough.”

In a separate interview, Political Science Association spokesperson Mavuto Bamusi said Kabambe was looking for a party that can offer him space to demonstrate his leadership skills and desire to implement an economic reforms agenda for Malawi.

“Dr. Kabambe’s passion to transform Malawi resonates with the energy that the late Dr. Saulos Chilima had, especially in implementing public sector reforms. This makes Kabambe ideologically perfectly aligned to the UTM Party,” he said.

Bamusi asked Usi to demonstrate that he stands with UTM Party even in challenging times.

On his part, governance pundit George Chaima argued that Kabambe’s decision to join UTM was fishy and it smells like a rat.

“Politically and financially, Kabambe is an able figure. His intention was to contest on a DPP ticket groomed by Peter Mutharika.

“That father-son relationship of loyalty remains strong and vibrant between the two. 

“Usi must humble himself and bring the UTM national executive committee [NEC] to the round table for reconciliatory talks. He must also conduct extensive rallies throughout the country. He must prove to them that he means well for the party and all,” he urged. 

Faced with pockets of resistance, on Monday, Usi spoke out on the party’s leadership wrangle, saying he is the bonafide UTM Party president following the death of his predecessor, Chilima and eight others.

In the nullified 2019 presidential election, Chilima picked Usi as his running mate, effectively becoming the party’s vice-president as per the party’s constitution and now the leader.