Kunkuyu quits PP over ‘personal reasons’: ‘Malawi needs young leaders, am not leaving politics’

Former ruling party Peoples Party (PP) continues to lose some of its executive officials latest being Deputy Publicity Secretary, Moses Nkukuyu who resigned from the political grouping on Wednesday.

Kunkuyu a former Parliamentarian for Blantyre South constituency, joined PP in 2012 after dumping Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and was the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) member.

The former minister of Information in Joyce Banda administration could not say exactly why he is quitting PP, only saying it is personal.

“I think I can serve Malawi better in other capacities, it is not only through a political party that you can serve a country,” said Kunkuyu.

The party has since expressed disappointment with Kunkuyu’s resignation, describing him as a hard working young politician.

In an interview with Nyasa Times on Wednesday, Kunkuyu said was forced to resign from the party that governed the country for two years, due to personal reasons.

”It is my own decision to quit the party. I thought about it at length; and i prayed for it as well,” said Kunkuyu.

He added: ”I didn’t want to quit at a time when things were not ok within the party, but now since the house is in order with leadership on the ground. I decided to tender my resignation.”

Asked about his next move, Kunkuyu said would want to take time to concentrate on his personal businesses but said he has not fully departed the front-line politics.

”I am not hanging my political gloves, I still have passion for my country. I feel i still have drops of political blood in me, so I won’t quit politics because Malawi needs young people like myself,” he
added.

He then vowed he won’t take any step to castigate his former party, saying ”I am not that kind of person, and don’t expect it from me.”

Kunkuyu said would still participate in the country’s politics but through other means than joining or associating himself with any political grouping.

”You won’t see me jumping from political party to the other. I will find my own means of participating in politics but as of now am taking this time to concentrate on my personal life.”

However, his decision to dump PP has been welcomed with disappointment especially from the party.

The Party’s Administrative and Publicity Secretary, Ken Msonda described it as a major blow.

”As a party we are very disappointed. Honourable Kunkuyu was a hardworking and young politician the party would love to have. But since it’s his right, we are accepting his resignation with regrets,”
said Msonda.

Msonda said the party’s executive council would soon meet to discuss and assess as to why the grouping continues to lose some of its members.

”I know honourable Kunkuyu is a prayerful man, and I know he prayed before making this decision. We wish him all the best and will greatly miss him.

”As a party we will assess as to why we continue to lose good people like him; surely we would have loved to retain him.”

Kunkuyu has followed the footsteps of other executive members who dumped the party prior and after May 2014 Tripatite elections.

Others who have quit the party include Sidic Mia, Brown Mpinganjira, Cassim Chilumpha, Harry Mkandawire, Hophmary Makande among others.

Kunkuyu is one of the youngest politicians in the country. In 2009, he was elected Member of Parliament for the Blantyre south constituency on a DPP ticket.

Following the unpopularity of late Bingu wa Mutharika administration, Kunkuyu in 2012 formed Hope Alliance, a pressure group within the party seeking to influence change from within to the Mutharika government.

He then joined Joyce Banda’s PP that took over government after Mutharika’s sudden death in office.

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