The United Transformation Movement (UTM) is a political party in

Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...

founded by Saulos Chilima.

History

On 21 July 2018, Saulos Chilima launched his transformation movement called United Transformation Movement (UTM) towards formation of his political party to contest in May 2019 elections. On 1 February 2019 Chilima's UTM held meetings with two other political parties and an alliance of smaller political parties aimed at forming a united opposition. The other parties to the discussion were the Alliance for Democracy (Aford), former Malawi President Joyce Banda's Peoples Party, and the Tikonze People's Movement led by former Vice President Cassim Chilumpha. They agreed to field one presidential candidate for the May 2019 elections. Both

Joyce Banda Joyce Hilda Banda (née Ntila; born 12 April 1950) is a Malawi, Malawian politician, who served as List of heads of state of Malawi, President of Malawi, from 7 April 2012 to 31 May 2014. Banda took office as President following the sudden deat ...

and

Cassim Chilumpha Cassim Chilumpha (born 29 November 1959) is a Malawian politician who was Vice-President of Malawi from June 2004 to May 2009. Later, under President Joyce Banda, he was appointed Minister of Energy and Mining in April 2012. Early life Chilumph ...

later withdrew from the alliance citing "disagreement with the selection of a presidential running mate for the candidate of the upcoming election" as their reason. In the

2019 Malawian general election General elections were held in Malawi on 21 May 2019 to elect the President of Malawi, President, National Assembly (Malawi), National Assembly and local government councillors. Incumbent President Peter Mutharika of the Democratic Progressive P ...

that was later nullified, Chilima alongside Dr Michael Usi as a running mate came third with 20.24% of the popular vote and United Transformation Movement won 4 seats in the National Assembly. The presidential election of 2019 was held again in 2020. In the 2020 presidential election, Chilima contested the race as Lazarus Chakwera's running mate for the

Malawi Congress Party The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is a political party in Malawi. It was formed as a successor party to the banned Nyasaland African Congress when the country, then known as Nyasaland, was under British rule. The MCP, under Hastings Banda, pre ...

, in the tonse alliance which brought up to nine opposition political parties with hopes to topple the Mutharika administration. Chilima died in a plane crash on 10 June 2024 and he was replaced by Dalitso Kabambe during an elective convention held on 17 November 2024 at Mzuzu.

References

{{Malawian political parties 2018 establishments in Malawi Political parties established in 2018 Political parties in Malawi