Khumbo Kachali was one of the few People from northern region that enjoyed massive support from UDF followers. No wander he was entrusted with the party finances in the run up to 2004 General elections. He was one of the two candidates to have defied all the odds by becoming the first ever UDF parliamentarian from the northern region in 2004 together with Dr George Nga Ntafu. He was appointed Minister of Sports by the Late President Professor Bingu Wa Muntharika in 2004.
When Professor Muntharika decided to resign from UDF, he followed suit and enjoyed Ministerial positions in the DPP govt. Towards the 2009 elections KACHALl was elected the Second Vice President of the DPP at the convention in 2008.
With the landslide victory that Professor Muntharika in 2009 general elections Kachali became a dominant character in the party. However internal political squabbles surrounding the automatic successor of professor Muntharika with public declaration by some DPP officials that Muntharika’s brother was the man to mantle KHUMBO’s fall from grace was imminent. The climax of was his expulsion from the party together with Dr Joyce Banda in 2010.
Together with Joyce Banda they formed the PP.
However with the passing on of professor Muntharika in 2012; Kachali’s political fortunes were back to life. Ascendancy of Dr J Banda to power Kachili was entrusted with the Second highest in the land. However his office was marred with high profile scandals not befitting the high office. The VP directly involved in the bed scandal that rocked Mponela hospital. The VP was also on the airwaves declaring that he and the President would not stop enjoying visiting different parts of the country because ‘samayenda pakhomo pamathu.’
That was not all that Kachali could offer to the nation. He was strongly linked to the plundering of public resources in the infamous Cash-gate scandal. Large section of the public believes that he was the main character in this scandal. This wind might have reached the President. The VP’s fortunes began to fade. He was dropped as cabinet minister and some duties were taken over from him.
The year 2014 was dually expected to be a year of change in almost all sectors. Political changes were expected, some key PP gurus began to defect from the party amid reports of favouritism by the President. It was later reported by ZBS that Joyce Banda was likely drop Kachali as her running-mate in the May elections.
And today 13th February, 2014 has marked the down fall of Khumbo Kachali, the man who dreamt of ascending to the highest office on the land.
My advice, there is still life after vice presidency.
