Saulos Chilima: A Prominent Malawian Economist and Politician

Saulos Chilima, born February 12, 1973, is a prominent Malawian economist and politician, currently serving as the vice president of Malawi since June 28, 2020. He assumed office alongside President Lazarus Chakwera after winning the majority in the presidential election. Prior to his political career, Chilima held significant leadership roles in various multinational corporations, including Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Airtel Malawi, where he rose to the position of Chief Executive Officer.

Chilima’s journey into politics began when he was announced as the running mate of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Peter Mutharika for the May 2014 presidential election. However, he later left the DPP to establish the United Transformation Movement (UTM) and contested in the 2019 general election, which was later nullified due to irregularities.

In the subsequent 2020 presidential election, Chilima joined forces with Lazarus Chakwera as his running mate under the Malawi Congress Party, forming the Tonse alliance with hopes to oust the ruling administration of Peter Mutharika. Their victory marked a significant political shift in Malawi.

Despite his initial successes, Chilima faced a setback on June 22, 2022, when he was stripped of his delegated powers as vice president due to his alleged involvement in a $150 million corruption scandal, tarnishing his political reputation.

On June 10, 2024, Chilima was involved in another significant event when an aircraft carrying him and nine others went missing. Following the disappearance of the aircraft, the president ordered a search and rescue operation after aviation officials were unable to establish contact with the aircraft.