By Burnett Munthali
The President of the United Transformation Movement (UTM), Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, has commenced an important political gathering with a solemn ceremony in memory of five individuals who tragically died in a plane crash on June 10 of the previous year. Among the deceased was the party’s former leader and Vice President of Malawi, Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima.
The memorial event marked the beginning of a major UTM meeting taking place at the Dinde Primary School ground in the southern region of Zambwe, within Nsanje District.

Dr. Kabambe is expected to use the occasion to outline and articulate the party’s key development strategies ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
As the gathering continues, Dr. Kabambe has already begun welcoming individuals who will represent the UTM party in the upcoming elections either as parliamentary candidates or ward councillors for various constituencies and wards across Nsanje District.
This event, therefore, serves a dual purpose—honoring the lives lost in a national tragedy and charting a new course for the party’s future through a strong grassroots mobilization and policy articulation.
The gathering underscores UTM’s ongoing efforts to remain politically relevant and reorganized under new leadership following the loss of its charismatic founder, Dr. Chilima.
Observers say this occasion could set the tone for how the party positions itself in the shifting political landscape of Malawi as it rebuilds and redefines its vision under Dr. Kabambe’s leadership.