Mary Chilima, the widow of late UTM president Saulos Klaus Chilima, has categorically denied rumors that she will join active politics, saying her focus will be on the newly-launched SKC Foundation.
Speaking at the launch of the foundation at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe, Chilima said: “If Saulos was here, what would he have been doing? Many have been telling me to continue his political journey. The UTM party has my blessing to implement the manifesto that Chilima aspired to.”
Chilima emphasized that she has no intention of filling her late husband’s boots in politics.
“I will not be joining politics. My focus will be on the SKC Foundation, which will implement charitable works that my late husband used to carry out,” she said.
SKC Foundation, launched on February 12, 2025, is a non-partisan and non-political organization aiming to fulfill the vision and goals of the late Saulos Klaus Chilima.
The launch was attended by President Lazarus Chakwera and First Lady Madam Chakwera, among other dignitaries.
However, the UTM party boycotted the event, citing unresolved grief and unanswered questions surrounding Chilima’s death.
Despite the boycott, UTM president Dalitso Kabambe said the party has donated K10 million towards the foundation.
“We stand with Mary Chilima all the time and deeply respect her efforts to honor her husband’s legacy,” Kabambe said.
The boycott was seen as a sign of the ongoing tensions between the UTM party and the current administration. Kabambe questioned how the party could share a platform with those who “owe Malawians the truth” about Chilima’s death.
