By Twink Jones Gadama

Dalitso Kabambe’s political career has been a rollercoaster ride of ambition, impatience, and ultimately, betrayal.

His departure from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has left many wondering about the real reasons behind his sudden exit.

In this feature, we delve deep into the events leading up to Kabambe’s decision to walk away from the party he once hoped to lead.

It all started with Kabambe’s aspirations to become the presidential candidate for the DPP.

However, his hopes were dashed when he realized that the party’s policy dictated that all aspirants must be elected at the party Convention – a process that did not guarantee Kabambe the position he desired.

Despite this, Kabambe expected to be handpicked by the then President, Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM), as his successor. But APM had other plans.

The turning point came during the National Governing Council (NGC) meeting, where APM announced his intentions to run for President in 2025.

Kabambe, who had been expecting APM to endorse him, was filled with anger and frustration.

In a fit of rage, he stormed out of Nkopola Lodge before the meeting was over, unable to contain his disappointment.

Not one to give up easily, Kabambe decided to take matters into his own hands.

He began working with Mulli, a controversial figure in Malawian politics, to launch an underground campaign to discredit APM.

Their aim was to tarnish APM’s reputation and boost Kabambe’s chances of winning the party’s nomination at the upcoming Convention.

However, their efforts did not gain much traction.

To make matters worse, Kabambe’s involvement in financing a court case against APM was exposed in the media.

It was revealed that he had failed to pay the individuals who had done his dirty work, leading to apologies and the withdrawal of the case against APM.

This revelation dealt a severe blow to Kabambe’s credibility within the party.

Despite his public facade of politeness and loyalty to APM, Kabambe knew that he had lost his standing in the DPP.

His impatience and misguided ambition had cost him dearly, and he was left with few options.

It was not until the suspicious death of Soulos Chilima that Kabambe saw an opportunity to reinvent himself.

Believing that he could take over the United Transformation Movement (UTM) following Chilima’s death, Kabambe saw a chance to fast-track his path to the presidency.

He saw UTM as a more promising platform for his ambitions than the DPP, where he had burned bridges and lost the trust of his former allies.

In the end, Kabambe’s departure from the DPP was a result of his own undoing.

His impatience, lack of foresight, and willingness to betray his party for personal gain led to his downfall.

As he sets his sights on a new political home, only time will tell if Kabambe can rebuild his reputation and achieve his ultimate goal of becoming President of Malawi.