Kabwila quits politics

Dr Jessie Kabwila, former Parliamentarian and a member of the UTM party, has resigned from active politics.

Kabwila announced her decision last night saying she wants to concentrate on her academic work.

“I am joining MIM (Malawi Institute of Management) as Executive Dean. I will be posting my resignation letter soon,” she said.

Kabwila used to work at Chancellor College (now University of Malawi) as a Lecturer and she came into the limelight during the fight for academic freedom in 2011. Kabwila led other lecturers in protests, demanding the then Inspector General of Police Peter Mukhitho to apologise for placing spies in classrooms and summoning one lecturer over a classroom example.

She later joined the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and was elected Member of Parliament for Salima North West in the 2014 elections.

In 2018, Kabwila was fired from the MCP and removed as party spokesperson for opposing the leadership of party president Lazarus Chakwera.

She joined UTM but in the 2019 elections she lost her parliamentary seat.

Last year, Kabwila was arrested on allegations that she threatened to deal with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson Jane Ansah who was accused of mismanaging the 2019 presidential elections.

Police also accused Kabwila of inciting violence against judges in the presidential elections case by threatening to deal with them if their ruling favoured the then President Peter Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party.