This weekend, November 17, UTM will be heading to the northern region, in Mzuzu to elect new officer bearers.
The hottest position is the party president. Delegates will have to elect a replacement for the late Saulos Chilima, who died in a plane crash in Chikangawa Forest in June.
During a fundraising dinner in Blantyre on Saturday, party secretary general Patricia Kaliati stated that no candidate can truly replace Chilima. However, delegates must elect someone capable of keeping the party strong in preparation for the general elections next September.
Five candidates have submitted their nominations for the presidency: Kaliati, Newton Kambala, Dalitso Kabambe, and Mathews Mtumbuka, while UTM acting president Michael Usi has yet to submit his forms.
In the days leading up to the convention, candidates are actively meeting with delegates to secure votes.
“We must ensure that Chilima’s legacy continues. He initiated a journey to change Malawi, and together we must realize his dreams,” Kaliati emphasized.
Kaliati has been a loyal UTM member from the word go. She was there when the party was being formed.
Eng. Mtumbuka, an accomplished academic, earned his DPhil in Communications Engineering from the University of Oxford in 2005. However, he has yet to achieve any political success.
Eng. Kambala, the founder of the United Transformation Movement, sold his United Transformation Party (UTP) to ally with Chilima, contributing to the establishment of UTM.
Kabambe, the former Reserve Bank Governor of Malawi, recently joined UTM, prompting speculation that he may be a “plant” from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), his previous political affiliation. After challenging DPP’s Peter Mutharika for party leadership, Kabambe aligned with UTM following Chilima’s burial in an effort to assume leadership.
Usi, chosen by Chilima as his vice president and running mate in the nullified 2019 Presidential election, automatically became acting president after Chilima’s death, in accordance with the party’s constitution. He was subsequently appointed Malawi’s vice president by President Lazarus Chakwera.
Emmanuel Mwanyongo, known as Yongo wa Yongo and a candidate for National Director of Strategic Planning, analyzed the delegates’ sentiments from the convention, revealing three options.
“There are candidates passionate about the party who wish to uphold Chilima’s legacy. Secondly, some candidates aim to steer the party towards the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) or Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) once elected president, which Mwanyongo claims are merely infiltrators within the UTM.
Supporting Mwanyongo, party official Peter Kanjere raised concerns about how some candidates joined the party and began vying for leadership positions.
He noted that many candidates were either complicit in the DPP and MCP’s victimization of Chilima or remained silent during his struggles, only to join the UTM after his passing to campaign for leadership.
Kanjere questioned whether these individuals would have joined the party had Chilima been alive.
George Saonda, also running for National Organizing Secretary, urged delegates to choose leaders who have remained loyal to the party. He warned against those seeking to hijack the party for their own ends, emphasizing, “Umfumu pamudzi samapatsa obwela, mudzaphetsa ana pakhomo.”
Kambara honored the late Chilima, referring to him as “mng’ono wanga, mtsogoleri wanga, mwana wanga komanso mzanga wa pamtima” (my younger brother, my leader, my child, and my close friend).
“The best decision I made for the party was to recognize the late Chilima as its leader. In line with the party’s mission, we provided all the necessary support for UTM to grow and achieve its current standing.
“After the death of SKC, many believed that UTM was finished, but that was not the case. I chose to run for the position of president because I didn’t want anyone to take it and sell it to the highest bidder. The vision that Chilima championed is what inspired me to be here, and we will continue to pursue it,” he said.
As UTM navigates its leadership transition, the elective conference will be a decisive moment for the party. The outcome will determine whether UTM can regain its footing and present a formidable challenge in the 2025 elections or if internal divisions will weaken it further.
The party’s future hinges on selecting a leader capable of energizing its base, expanding its grassroots support, and maintaining the legacy of its charismatic founder, Saulos Klaus Chilima.
The battle for the soul of UTM is long and rugged.
