Vice-President Michael Usi was caught in a tight spot this week.
During a recent tour of Mwanza District, he emphatically shouted “Boma ndi lomweli”—a slogan associated with the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP), suggesting that the MCP-led administration is stable and going nowhere.
Now, here is a politician who claims allegiance to the opposition UTM Party, formerly a key partner in the now-defunct Tonse Alliance that helped elect President Lazarus Chakwera alongside the late Saulos Chilima—Usi’s predecessor in both UTM and the government in 2020. But the UTM leadership has repeatedly declared their separation from the alliance, complicating Usi’s latest position.
How do we even begin to unpack that?
But hours after his statement, Usi clarified to reporters that his support for the MCP-led ‘Tonse government’ does not specifically endorse Chakwera. In Usi’s world, saying “Boma ndi lomweli” does not necessarily imply endorsement even for the party running the government, but rather the government itself. If only politics was that simple.
He went on to back his stand, arguing that he contributed profoundly to the formation of this administration.
Let’s pause for a moment. Usi’s supporters might argue that his mixed messages are just part of his charisma. After all, this is a man who built his career on making people laugh – often by poking fun at the very system he now finds himself a part of—government. Yet, the line between his comical persona and his roles as State-Vice President or Cabinet Minister is increasingly blurred in the eyes of many Malawians.
And talking about loyalty, or the lack thereof, Usi’s attempt to defend his purported UTM membership in the face of what some UTM members claim to be his strong links with MCP only further muddies the waters. The former UTM acting president insists that he is still a member of that party despite a growing chorus of voices suggesting that he is one step away from officially jumping ship entirely.
I mean Usi’s constant back-and- f o r t h on the status of the Tonse Alliance raises the question of whether he is simply trying to please everyone, or if he is canvassing for a more strategic role elsewhere, soon. Perhaps the most logical move would be for him to create his political party, or revive the ‘Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu’ pressure group capitalising on his fame and ostensible political connections. After all, why impose yourself on a political grouping where you have very little influence and control when you could set out on your own?
What’s next for the ever-elusive Usi? If Usi intends to stay with UTM, one must question how he plans to galvanise support when his allegiance resembles a collapsing house of cards. Should he stick with UTM, he will also need more than jokes to rally the party troops. If he is eyeing a solo political adventure, his comical roots might provide the charisma, but political seriousness will be harder to assemble.
Whatever the case, Usi’s current strategy feels more like a never-ending game of ‘guess my next move’. In the end, his political future is just as unclear as his tinted glasses in my opinion.
But one thing is cer tain, though – Michael Usi knows how to keep people guessing.
Whether he is the next big political player for the 2025 elections or simply a man caught in the storm of his contradictions, only time will tell.
But until then, we just have to continue watching Usi through his trademark tinted lenses, hoping to catch a glimpse of his true political face.
