{"id":71301,"date":"2025-06-24T21:32:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T21:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/michael-usi-the-political-cat-you-never-see-pregnant-but-always-returns-with-kittens"},"modified":"2025-06-24T21:32:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T21:32:00","slug":"michael-usi-the-political-cat-you-never-see-pregnant-but-always-returns-with-kittens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/michael-usi-the-political-cat-you-never-see-pregnant-but-always-returns-with-kittens","title":{"rendered":"Michael Usi: The Political Cat You Never See Pregnant, But Always Returns with Kittens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Malawi. <\/strong><\/span>As of today, all major presidential hopefuls have collected their nomination forms\u2014except one: Michael Usi.<\/b><\/p>\n

The public is buzzing. Critics are throwing shade. \u201cIs he really serious about running?\u201d they ask. \u201cWill he even stand on September 16?\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n

Well, that question is exactly where the story of Michael Usi begins.<\/b><\/p>\n

Critics have laughed at him. Commentators have dismissed him. But time and again, Michael Usi has proven one thing: underestimate him at your own risk. From the very beginning, his political journey has been misunderstood, misjudged, and mocked\u2014but somehow, he keeps flipping the script.<\/p>\n

Back in 2011, Usi told Malawi News that high-profile politicians\u2014including then-President Bingu wa Mutharika\u2014had approached him to join politics. People laughed. \u201cHe\u2019s just a comedian,\u201d they said. \u201cHe\u2019s probably making fun of the whole system.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Usi wasn\u2019t joking.<\/p>\n

When Bingu passed away and Joyce Banda took the reins, Usi resurfaced. He revealed that both PP and DPP had reached out to him again. Why? Two reasons: his unmatched ability to attract international support, and his deep influence at the grassroots. But again, the public shrugged it off.<\/p>\n

What they didn\u2019t realize is that Usi wasn\u2019t just talking\u2014he was being approached behind closed doors. Still, because of his comedic persona, few could tell if he was truly serious. Most dismissed him as a sideshow.<\/p>\n

After the DPP\u2019s 2014 win, Usi went silent. The critics smiled smugly. \u201cWe told you,\u201d they whispered. But soon after, he appeared in a Weekend Nation interview and declared his mission to disrupt Malawi\u2019s broken political culture. Once again, many thought it was just another act.<\/p>\n

Then came the unexpected.<\/p>\n

Usi organized a massive public sermon at Comesa Hall in Blantyre. It was bold, artistic, and deeply political. With Mlaka Maliro on the mic singing Zanja La Lemba, Usi delivered one of the most profound messages ever heard in Malawi\u2019s political space. The crowd was stunned.<\/p>\n

Shortly after, he launched his movement: Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu. The name alone sounded like a comedy sketch. The public rolled their eyes again. But what they didn\u2019t see was that Usi was building real momentum\u2014powered by his unmatched community organizing skills and personal funding. Soon, his movement spread like wildfire.<\/p>\n

And then, the shock of all shocks: Usi became Saulos Chilima\u2019s running mate in the 2019 elections. The country gasped. \u201cUsi? Seriously?\u201d Even some of Chilima\u2019s strongest backers questioned his judgment. But Chilima saw what others couldn\u2019t\u2014Usi wasn\u2019t a joke. He was a strategy.<\/p>\n

Under the Tonse Alliance, Usi rose quickly. He became a senior minister and the undisputed number two in UTM. Despite infighting and attempts to edge him out, Usi remained loyal. Even after Chilima\u2019s tragic passing, the two were known to be on good terms\u2014united, not divided.<\/p>\n

Then came the turning point. Usi stepped up as Vice President. Some UTM members, furious, pulled the party out of the Tonse Alliance. They blamed Usi. He didn\u2019t flinch. When he skipped the UTM convention, analysts called him \u201ca political dead man walking.\u201d Many thought he would just fold into MCP and disappear quietly.<\/p>\n

But once again, they got it wrong.<\/p>\n

Instead of hiding, Usi revived Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu. When critics mocked him, saying the movement wasn\u2019t registered as a political party, Usi answered in classic fashion\u2014with action, not talk.<\/p>\n

He organized a mammoth rally in Zomba, packed from corner to corner. There, he dropped the mic: Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu is now a fully registered political party under Malawian law.<\/p>\n

And now, here we are again. All candidates have collected their nomination forms\u2014except Usi. So the question remains: Will he stand?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve followed Usi\u2019s story, you\u2019d know by now: he never moves like everyone else. He plays the long game. He calculates. He waits. He strikes.<\/p>\n

He is the political cat\u2014that pet you never see pregnant but somehow returns with kittens.<\/b><\/p>\n

So should you take Michael Usi seriously?<\/b><\/p>\n

Absolutely. Just don\u2019t blink.<\/b><\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Malawi<\/a> Follow Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Malawi. As of today, all major presidential hopefuls have collected their nomination forms\u2014except one: Michael Usi. The public is buzzing. Critics are throwing shade. \u201cIs he really serious about running?\u201d they ask. \u201cWill he even stand on September 16?\u201d Well, that question is exactly where the story of Michael Usi begins. Critics have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":71300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,12],"tags":[233,371,234],"class_list":["post-71301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-malawi","tag-malawi"],"yoast_head":"\nMichael Usi: The Political Cat You Never See Pregnant, But Always Returns with Kittens - Malawi<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/malawi\/all-news\/michael-usi-the-political-cat-you-never-see-pregnant-but-always-returns-with-kittens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Michael Usi: The Political Cat You Never See Pregnant, But Always Returns with Kittens\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press – Malawi. As of today, all major presidential hopefuls have collected their nomination forms\u2014except one: Michael Usi. The public is buzzing. Critics are throwing shade. \u201cIs he really serious about running?\u201d they ask. \u201cWill he even stand on September 16?\u201d Well, that question is exactly where the story of Michael Usi begins. 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