Kunkuyu sworn in
Thirty-two-year-old parliamentarian Moses Kunkuyu has been sworn in as Malawi’s Minister of Information and Civic Education, taking over from the vocal Patricia Kaliati whose last function on duty was to announce that President Joyce Banda could not take over the country’s leadership.
President Banda attended the swearing-in ceremony held at the Office of the President and Cabinet offices in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe.
She advised Kunkuyu to be truthful.
Said the President: “You should only tell the truth and give me truthful advice. I believe you will not take Malawians for granted. I believe you will respect Malawians both in-camera and in public… Don’t waste your time on praise singing, I don’t expect you to go on TV everyday to sing about me.”
Banda said she has appointed Kunkuyu regardless of the party he comes from and not because of his involvement in the Hope Alliance but to show Malawians that she is ready to work with everyone.
“What impressed me most is that you are God-fearing,” she added, before giving him a Bible verse Joshua 1:1-9, which the President said should always guide the new youthful minister.
Kunkuyu, an MP for Blantyre City South, is so far the youngest member of the current Cabinet.
The brief ceremony was graced by Minister of Local Government Henry Mussa, deputy Minister in the OPC Nicholas Dausi and a number of parliamentarians, including Dowa East’s Bauleni Mannah, Ntcheu West’s Chikumbutso Hiwa and Nsanje Lalanje’s Sam Ganda.
Kunkuyu was accompanied by his equally youthful wife and members of his family.
The ceremony was presided over by Chief Secretary to Government Bright Msaka while Cabinet clerk Clement Chinthu Phiri conducted the swearing-in after he read from the Bible’s Matthew 16 verses 19.
Kunkuyu, who supported the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Parliament, came in the limelight following the formation of the Hope Alliance, a pressure group within the then ruling party and was one of the first MPs to openly criticise Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration.
