Malawi envoy Mphonda presents credentials to Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The Malawi High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Kena Mphonda, on Tuesday, 13th October, 2015, presented his Letters of Credence to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain marking the official commencement of his tour of duty to London.

The Queen received the letters at a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace in London.

In a time-honoured ceremony, the Malawi High Commissioner and his wife Mary Chokani Mphonda were collected by a State landau, a red royal horse-drawn carriage and were escorted by Her Majesty’s Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps.

Mphonda and his wife were accompanied by members of the diplomatic staff, including Defence Attaché Colonel Sydney Linyama, press and protocol officer Kondwani Munthali and Mwai Dausi.

During the presentation, Mphonda delivered a message of best wishes from Malawi President Peter Mutharika, to Her Majesty the Queen.

Mphonda also assured Her Majesty of continued strong bonds of friendship between the two Governments and the people of Malawi.

On his tour of duty, Mphonda who has replaced Benard Sande, said after the presentation, “I am grateful to His Excellency the President, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, for the privilege to serve my beautiful country and its people at this position. I will, during my tour of duty, endeavour to sustain the cordial and excellent relations Malawi and the UK have enjoyed since 1964.

“ I will also herald Government priority areas of increasing trade and investment between Malawi and Britain and encouraging more British people to visit Malawi apart from different socio-cultural exchanges that currently exist.”

Mphonda was Chief of Protocol in the Malawi Government prior to his appointment as Malawi’s envoy to London and is a career diplomat, after serving in Washington DC in the United States of America and in Bonn, Germany, in previous tours of duty.