Kunkuyu quits PP, urges youths to rise

Former Blantyre City South parliamentarian, Moses Kunkuyu, who also served as Minister of Information, Tourism and Civic Education under the Joyce Banda administration has today resigned from the erstwhile governing Peoples Party to concentrate on ‘something else ‘.

The youthful politician was mum on his next move, but called on youths to rise and fight for the country. He said time has come for youths to be actively involved in developing Malawi.

Kunkuyu’s resignation comes amid continued leadership wrangles in PP, with some sections calling for a convention to resolve the squabbles.

Since 2014, PP has been hit with  resignations of senior members like its vice presidents Cassim Chilumpha and Sidik Mia. Others like Brown Mpinganjira and Harry Mkandawire have also abdicated from their positions.

But Kunkuyu, who was the first minister to be appointed by Banda after she assumed the presidency in 2012, said his resignation has nothing to do with the wrangles.

Reads Kunkuyu’s resignation letter to PP’s Secretary General Ibrahim Matola which Nation Online has seen:  “I now intend to concentrate something else, and I have conclude that it would be distracting both to that effort and to my party membership and other assigned duties if I were to continue being a member.

PP’s acting President, Uladi Mussa was elusive when reacting to Kunkuyu’s resignation.

“Since he lost in Dedza South in 2014, he has never attended any meeting of our party. He has done nothing to the party and PP will not be affected in any way; of course as a human being he has that right to make decisions,”  said Mussa.

During the 2009 polls, Kunkuyu was elected member of parliament for Blantyre City South constituency on an independent ticket, but later joined the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

However, in 2012, Kunkuyu  led a rebellious group of some DPP parliamentarians under the banner of Hope Alliance, a group which he said was against former president the late Bingu was Mutharika’s leadership style and was advocating for good governance.

In the 2014 tripartite elections, Kunkuyu contested  as PP’s candidate for the Dedza South seat, but lost.