In the video at the Facebook link below, Vitumbiko Mumba while campaigning in a town in the northern region of Malawi continues to blame UTM, saying in Tumbuka (a language spoken predominantly in Northern Malawi – where Mumba is from) that in 2019, at the last day of campaigning, the UTM made the promise that if elected into government fertiliser prices would come down to K4,950. He says the MCP never made that promise. But that when in 2020, they were forming the Tonse Alliance, they combined manifestos, and so MCP asked the UTM leadership to articulate on the fertiliser prices they had specified, and they were told by UTM that “we think properly/ strategically, so don’t worry“.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17LBsAUm36

Mumba then says he’s traveled the world, in countries like China, Azerbaijan, and others that manufacture fertilizer and has never heard of such extremely low prices.

And then when the Tonse alliance got into government, when quizzed about what they would tell the people, UTM essentially told MCP that the K4,950 price was a campaign gimmick, and not a true promise.

He says that is the truth, but that the truth hurts, so that’s why UTM is avoiding the topic. He then challenges UTM saying if the promised price of fertilizer being bought at K4,950 was achievable, why has it been left out of the 2025 UTM Manifesto? Because if that figure is achievable, and they keep making noises, he says, let them (UTM) include it this time around too…

Mumba concludes in saying ~ these brethren lie too much…

Comment:

What has UTM said about this issue? Obviously during campaign season a lot of things get said, and people play politics. And sometimes, like in this case, some of the people who would have come out and refuted this allegation (like Saulos Chilima) are no longer with us. But surely the UTM leadership can respond to this issue and tell us what’s what. Further, its interesting to see that Michael Usi, who was Chilima’s VP in 2019 hasn’t said much about the fertiliser story Mumba is banging on about? What does he know? Does he owe Malawians an explanation?