As the UTM prepares for its inaugural convention on November 17, the political atmosphere within the party has become increasingly volatile, with candidates trading allegations and accusations against one another. The latest showdown erupted over the weekend as candidates addressed their supporters after submitting their nomination papers for the presidential race.
During this tense gathering, Mr. Newton Kambala, a UTM founder and key figure in the party’s establishment, publicly lambasted Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, a newcomer who joined UTM following the death of the party’s former leader, Dr. Saulos Chilima. Kambala branded Kabambe a “treacherous intruder” who had played a role in Chilima’s suffering during his time with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Compounding Kambala’s disdain of Kabambe aspirations towards UTM, the party’s national director of women, Mrs Annie Nyadani Makuta shredded Kabambe uncovering his hand of torture towards Chilima during 2013/2014 period.
In a charged address, Mrs Makuta recounted a series of alleged transgressions committed by Kabambe against Chilima while serving as Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He claimed that Kabambe orchestrated a humiliating incident during a trip to London for Chilima. “When there was a trip for Dr. Chilima to go to London, Kabambe got out of his office, went to the airport to issue stern instructions to the airport authorities not to lay a red carpet for Chilima. Although the carpet had already been laid, Kabambe instructed them to remove it, and they did. This is unforgivable torture,” Kambala asserted.
In deeply echoing Kambala’s sentiments, Mrs. Makuta, emphasized Kambala’s integral role in the party and raising concerns about the leadership of ‘strangers’: “Political parties are supposed to have their owners,” she stated. “If we install strangers as leaders, they will not have the best interests of the party and its supporters.”
Mrs Makuta continued to draw on memories of Chilima’s turbulent tenure within the DPP, recalling how Kabambe’s actions contributed to the former vice president’s degradation within the party. “You all saw how Chilima was hated and tortured by the DPP including withholding funding from his office of State Vice President. Kabambe, as Reserve Bank Governor, orchestrated many of those actions against him. Chilima was chased from DPP in 2014 and later formed UTM in 2018. From 2018 up to 2024, why was Kabambe not joining UTM? Now, he wants to come and inherit the party which was formed by someone whom he tortured? We cannot accept this,” Makuta declared to a gathering of enthusiastic supporters.
The exchange has intensified the ongoing contention among UTM presidential candidates, with Kambala’s accusations highlighting the deep-seated divisions within the party as they head toward the convention. Kabambe, who is having hard times accounting to his treatment of Chilima while in DPP, faces an uphill battle in winning the trust of loyal UTM members amid such intense scrutiny of his past.
As UTM stands on the cusp of selecting its leader, the stakes could not be higher. The showdown not only reflects the current tensions within the party but also foreshadows the challenges that lie ahead as UTM seeks to navigate its future trajectory in the Malawian political landscape. With rival factions at play, the upcoming convention promises to be a pivotal moment for the party.
