Fallen from Grace: Supreme Court Delivers Another Blow to Disgraced Kalumo

The walls are closing in on disgraced former Immigration chief, Brigadier General Charles Kalumo (retired), as the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal has delivered yet another humiliating blow, refusing to grant a stay on the High Court’s damning judgement that nullified his appointment.

In a desperate attempt to cling to power, Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda scrambled to secure a lifeline for Kalumo, arguing that the High Court ruling was riddled with “irregularities.” But Deputy Chief Justice Lovemore Chikopa saw through the smoke and mirrors, dismissing the application with sharp precision.

In his ruling, Justice Chikopa didn’t mince words: “We do not think the Immigration and Citizenship Services will grind to a halt in the absence of Brigadier General Kalumo [retired]. Or that irreparable damage will be done to Brigadier General Kalumo or the Directorate of Immigration and Citizenship Services in Malawi if a stay is not granted.”

This scathing verdict is the final nail in the coffin for Kalumo’s controversial tenure, which was marred by allegations of irregularities right from the start. High Court Judge Mike Tembo had already stripped away the facade on June 6, 2024, declaring Kalumo’s appointment illegal and unconstitutional—a stunning rebuke to both the retired soldier and the very process that ushered him into office.

Kalumo’s appointment by President Lazarus Chakwera in August 2022 was challenged by immigration officer Chikhulupiliro Zidana, who exposed the procedural loopholes that now form the crumbling foundation of Kalumo’s failed career. Even after Tembo rejected an earlier attempt to block the ruling in the High Court, the desperate appeal to the Supreme Court has now collapsed under the weight of its own flaws.

As the dust settles, one thing is clear: Malawi’s justice system has little patience for backdoor deals and unconstitutional power grabs. The Directorate of Immigration and Citizenship Services moves forward, unburdened by the shadow of Kalumo’s disgrace.

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