I have never been any close to politics: Edmond Kachale response to Wise One From The East
I hereby write to respond to an article that appeared on Nyasa Times dated September 13, 2013 entitled “Malawi 2014 Elections: ‘One citizen, one vote’ or ‘Loser takes all’?” (http://www.nyasatimes.com/2013/09/13/malawi-2014-elections-one-citizen-one-vote-or-loser-takes-all/) .
I am a young Malawian software developer. I am primarily an Open Source Evangelist with special interests are in Human Language Technologies and Health Informatics. Among some of the notable personal achievements, I pioneered translation of Google into Chichewa, I developed a Chichewa Word Processor model called Kalembera, I developed two Chichewa spellcheckers for Firefox and OpenOffice, and I also worked on a Chichewa skin for Facebook in conjunction with Prof. Kevin Scannell of Indigenous Tweets project (http://indigenoustweets.com/). I have done many other language related projects especially for Chichewa.
My passion for “languages in computers” is very profound, other than that I have never expressed any interests of engaging myself in political affairs, especially in a manner like the one that a “Wise One from the East” is insinuating in his article.
In the article,”Wise One from the East” is alleging that Mr. Humphrey Mvula and I, Edmond Kachale, are conniving with Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) through some Israeli company, Nikuv International Projects Ltd Company (NIP), to manipulate the voters’ role as a way of rigging 2014 votes. I quote: “NIKUV is working with local hired guns namely Humphrey Mvula and ICT guru Edmond Kachale to manage the voters roll from registration through to the vote count.” I would like to make my position clear that I am not dealing in any kind of business that is political in nature.
I have never been approached by any private person, Mr. Humphrey Mvula, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), Nikuv International Projects Ltd Company (NIP), company, firm or indeed any institution that is working with or for the Government to engage in any activity of this or any other kind. This is not factual at all, but a mere fabrication out of the clear blue sky. It is just flattering and fictional, and I would like to distance myself from any business, activity or engagement of political in nature. I work in private sector and my job requires total commitment of my time and skills as such I do not have any time to get myself involved in this issue.
The article also alleges that Mr. Humphrey Mvula and I are simulating voting patterns with the help of NIKUV and likely outcomes, and strategizing on how to manipulate the voters roll. I would like to make it clear that I am not doing any business with either Mr. Mvula or NIKUV. Specifically, I am not developing or working with any simulation software that deals with election management, prediction of voting patterns, or any activity surrounding elections for either within or outside Malawi.
In the article,”Wise One from the East” further argues that I have been privately hired as an ICT guru to manage the voters roll from registration through to the vote count. I have put it on record that I have not been privately hired by anyone to do any business of this kind. This is not only personally destructive but professionally degrading to the entire ICT community in Malawi. ICT personnel are professionals and as professionals have a code of ethics within which we function. Specifically, the entire ICT community in Malawi is professionally disciplined and hence, we do not engage ourselves in such a manner that can destabilise our democratic dispensation.
I have been very much devastated by this article. This is not only character assassination but also reputation aspersion because the article is misleading people into drawing deductive assumptions that I am engaged in dirty political mongering. It is not true that I am involved at any point in either this business or any politics. Furthermore, I would like to put it in black and white that I have never been any close to politics and I personally do not have any such contacts.
In conclusion, I would not like to engage into any verbal exchanges with this “Wise One from the East” (whoever he is) but I would like to request him to consult respective individuals before he publishes any stories, especially such sensitive issues. Grace unto you all!
Edmond Kachale | Software Developer | http://edceekays.blogspot.com/
Blantyre | Malawi
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