Patricia Kaliati: Still the lone and bitter wolf
What was intended to be a measured and forward-looking UTM press conference on Tuesday, August 27, at Mount Soche Hotel—a platform to announce the date and details of its upcoming national elective conference—quickly devolved into an emotional and contentious affair, thanks to the still lone and visibly bitter and suicical Patricia Kaliati.
The event began on a promising note. Felix Njawala, the party’s spokesperson, delivered a thoughtful statement calling for unity and shared purpose among UTM members as they prepare for the convention and the 2025 elections. His message was clear: personal attacks, particularly on social media, should cease, and the focus should shift to mobilizing grassroots support if the party is to secure a victory in the next election. I thought it was a positive, well-crafted statement that set a constructive tone for the gathering.
ENTER PATRICIA KALIATI
However, the press conference took a sudden and unexpected turn when Secretary General Patricia Kaliati took the microphone. True to her reputation as the lone and bitter wolf within the party, Kaliati was visibly angry—though at what, no one could say—and launched into a tirade that had little to do with the theme of the event. With an air of indignation, she declared that UTM was out of the contest and would not be forced into an alliance with anyone, a point no one had raised.
Kaliati then bizarrely accused journalists of asking her about alliances—questions that she herself had prompted. She warned that now that UTM is in an alliance, she did not want to see any member wearing the party’s colors at government functions. The irony was palpable: the subject of alliances had been her own invention, and yet she used it to attack the press. Her outburst left the audience bewildered. If she wasn’t confused, she was clearly agitated by something deeply personal.
When journalists sought clarification on her statements about alliances, Kaliati dodged the questions, passing the responsibility to her fellow panelists. Fortunately, Richard Makondi, Fredokis Kalua, and Norman Nyirenda stepped in to salvage the situation, calmly affirming that, according to the UTM constitution, Michael Usi is the party’s president. Their intervention helped restore a semblance of order to the proceedings.
THE NON-ISSUE OF PARTY COLORS
Kaliati’s fixation on the issue of party colors was both perplexing and irrelevant. The press conference was convened to discuss matters of great importance to the party—not to dictate what members should or should not wear to government functions.
Malawi is a democracy, where the freedom of association and expression, including how one dresses, is enshrined in the Constitution. If UTM members choose to wear the party’s colors in support of Michael Usi at government functions, that is their prerogative. They certainly don’t need fashion advice from Patricia Kaliati or anyone else.
UTM’s constitution is unequivocal: Michael Usi is the legitimate president of the party. There are many members who support him, and they are well within their rights to wear party colors as a symbol of their allegiance. The idea that they would require ‘fashion prescriptions’ from Kaliati or Willet Kalonga is as absurd as it is patronizing.
THE CONVENTION—A MISSED OPPORTUNITY
Ideally, this press conference should have been held after the constitutional committee had fully constituted itself and ironed out all the necessary details, including the fee structure and other frameworks. Again, according to UTM’s constitution, decisions made by the Central Committee must be ratified by the NEC before they are finalized. However, the date for the convention was announced as if it were set in stone. Why the rush?
It is also becoming apparent that Kaliati is pursuing her own personal agenda within UTM. It is a sad spectacle to see her dragging so many in the party’s leadership into her orbit, perhaps without them even realizing they are serving her interests.
There has been murmuring in various forums that Kaliati has long harbored ambitions for the party’s presidency. She even began positioning herself before Saulos Chilima’s death, when it was rumored that he might not run again due to the issue of term limits. Now, her intentions are coming with alarming clarity.
At the presser, Jaliati clearly behaved like ‘kalulu wa bele’ (pregnant rabbit ), and that display was not about the future of UTM; it was about her own battle for the party’s presidency. She knows that Michael Usi, chosen over her as Vice President of the country, is her greatest obstacle. First, she missed out on the Vice Presidency; now, her ambition for the UTM Presidency is also on the chopping board because Of the same man.
Fortunately for UTM, Michael Usi is not one to be drawn into emotional or personalized disputes. He is a cool, composed, and level-headed leader who understands that leadership is about serving the people, not indulging in petty rivalries. In his recent address to UTM supporters in the Northern Region, Usi made it clear that he does not engage in petty politicking because he is the Vice President of all Malawians, not just a faction within his party.
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