Chakwera appoints more advisers: Lucius Banda gets State House post

President Lazarus Chakwera has appointed more  special advisers in his office which includes Lucius Banda, a well known music icon in Malawi.

Banda, musician-turned-politician, has been appointed as special adviser on arts and youth at State House.

He is a member of the UTM Party which is in the Tonse Alliance led government.

State House director of communication and executive assistant to the President Sean Kampondeni confirmed the new appointments , saying State House  will announce on Sunday.

On Lucius Banda, Kampondeni  could  not shed light on his appointments but hinted it will be announced formally with others on Sunday.

Banda shot to fame when he released music denouncing the rule of the late Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

When the long time ruler lost Malawi’s first multi-party elections in 1994, Lucius Banda commonly known as ‘Soldier of the poor’ continued his music crusade by criticising Kamuzu Banda’s successor, Bakili Muluzi.

But the musician then entered parliament as a member of Muluzi’s United Democratic Front (UDF) party.

He then ruffled the feathers when he released two albums criticising Muluzi’s successor, Bingu wa Mutharika, who quit the UDF after falling out with Muluzi and formed Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

Later on Banda moved a motion in parliament proposing procedures to impeach the president.

Shortly afterwards, the authorities arrested him over allegations that he forged a school certificate that enabled him to stand for parliament.

He was convicted and sentenced to 21 months in jail with hard labour.

Lucius Banda later won his parliamentary seat again under UDF ticket before he dumped the party which had gone to political bed with DPP. He then joined UTM where he is campaign director.

On Saturday, State House announced appointment of broadcaster Brian Banda of Times Media as  presidential Press Secretary.

Other presidential appointments at State House include Overstone Kondowe, Rev Brian Kamwendo, Sheikh Hashim Abbas, Major Precious Mahara Gausi, Martha Chikuni and Solomon Kavuta.