Every time UTM holds a rally these days, one thing is predictable: Patricia Kaliati will climb the podium, grab the mic, and—as if stuck on replay—launch yet another pointless tirade against Vice President Michael Usi, leader of Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu movement.
It has become her political identity. Not policy. Not vision. Not ideas. Just pure, tired attacks on a man who has long moved on from UTM and is now leading a growing movement with national appeal.
One would think Kaliati, a former cabinet minister and once formidable voice in Malawian politics, would have higher ambitions than being a political heckler. But no—she has reduced herself to a permanent commentator on someone else’s journey.
Let’s be clear: Usi was fired from UTM. He started his own movement. He did not fight for scraps in a convention, nor did he beg for a seat at a table that no longer matched his vision. And yet, every time Kaliati speaks, it’s as if Usi still lives rent-free in her mind. The irony? Usi has never bothered to respond—not even once. While she shouts into microphones, he builds. While she obsesses, he organizes. That contrast speaks volumes.
One has to wonder: Why is Kaliati so obsessed?
The answer is painfully obvious. Patricia Kaliati is politically hollow. She holds no elected position. She is not an MP. She failed to win any seat at her party’s own convention. She has no policy ideas to offer. No tangible legacy to defend. And in this vacuum, she has found the cheapest form of relevance: attacking Michael Usi.
But even this tactic is failing. Headlines fade quickly when they’re not fed with fire. Usi’s silence has denied Kaliati the oxygen she craves. Her insults fall flat, echoing in a chamber of her own irrelevance. If anything, her rants only serve to highlight the growing stature of Usi, who—unlike UTM’s current leadership—actually brings ideas and energy to the national conversation.
Worse still, her behavior exposes a deeper rot within UTM itself. If Kaliati has become the de facto spokesperson for attacking Usi, then one has to ask: is this part of UTM’s broader political strategy? Is her job to destabilize Odya Zake by attempting to derail Usi’s momentum with noise and nuisance? If so, it’s not working. Usi is undeterred, and Odya Zake continues to gain traction among a population tired of recycled politics and hungry for something real.
Let’s not forget: Usi built UTM’s grassroots energy during the Chilima era. His charisma, connection with ordinary people, and transformative message were central to UTM’s rise. When he left, he took with him a wave of support that UTM is still struggling to recover from. That is the wound Kaliati cannot heal—so instead, she pokes it with public tantrums.
But here’s the hard truth Kaliati must face: attacking a man who’s moved on doesn’t make you relevant. It makes you desperate. It doesn’t revive your career. It cements your fall from grace. And it certainly doesn’t help your party. If anything, it shows Malawians just how little UTM has left to offer—when their loudest voice is not talking about the economy, the youth, jobs, or corruption, but about a man they no longer work with.
If Kaliati truly cares about UTM, she should be helping Dalitso Kabambe rebuild a party that’s fast losing its national footprint. She should be articulating policy, engaging communities, and helping chart a new direction. But instead, she has chosen to be a megaphone of bitterness.
In the end, it’s simple: Usi is building. Kaliati is shouting. And history is already beginning to write itself.
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