Malawi army shake-up continues: Mutharika appoints Saenda director of military operations

President Peter Mutharika continues with his shake-up at the top of the Malawi Defence Forces (MDF) with the recent appointment of  Brigadier Blaise Saenda as director of military operations replacing Brigadier Chikunkha Soko.

Brigadier Soko has since been removed from the MDF and deployed to the Ministry of Defence at Capital Hill to work as a civilian civil servant.

The development comes after President Mutharika last week removed  General Vincent Nundwe—barely eight months after he replaced General Griffin Spoon Phiri last June— and replaced him with Andrew Namathanga as new commander.

Nundwe and his deputy General Clement Namangale will be assigned other duties in the public service.

Mutharika also made other appointments which include: Major General Davis Sesatino Mtachi promoted to the post of Deputy Commander of MDF.

Brigadier General Elias Mpaso has been appointed Army Commander (Land Forces), Brigadier General Ian Macleod Chirwa has been appointed Air Force Commander, Colonel Harrison Kandula has been appointed Air Force Deputy Commander while Colonel Desmond Chawanda has been appointed Deputy Army Commander (Land Forces).