Lipenga new Malawi Finance Minister

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has appointed Ken Lipenga, a former English professor and journalist, as finance minister, replacing Ken Kandodo in a new, smaller cabinet, following protests demanding a cut in state spending.

Kandodo championed a “zero-deficit budget” seeking to use local resources to replace aid money lost when several donor nations cut their financial support over concerns about poor governance.

The grand nephew of the late dictator Kamuzu Banda remains member of parliament for Kasungu central.

An observer gave a nod to Lipenga that he will succeed as the country's purse keeper owing to the fact that he is "well read, a shrewd communicator who rises above petty politics and has a good public rapport.”

Lipenga: New Finance Minister

He has a PhD in English Literature from University of New Brunswickin .

Lipenga as a journalist worked for media giant Blantyre Printing and Publishing Company as General Manager and Editor-in-Chief of Blantyre Newspapers Ltd.

In 1992 Lipenga was dismissed from his job following a series of provocative articles under his column, Off the Cuff.

The article, “Of Gallileo as Dissident,” metaphorically criticized one-party rule under the Kamuzu Banda regime and sided with those calling for multi-party rule.

Lipenga then worked as a Reuters and Radio Netherlands correspondent.

He was also the founding Editor-In-Chief of Malawi's flagship daily, The Nation where he resigned  1995 upon being appointed Special Assistant to the then President, Bakili Muluzi.

Lipenga , who is considered to be widely respected  politician, became MP for Phalombe East in 1997 through a by-election on UDF ticket.

He has served ministerial portfolio of Labour & Vocational Training, Economic Planning and Development. He also served as Sports Minister and Information Minister. In the previous cabinet he was tourism minister.

Mutharika disbanded his 42-member cabinet on Aug. 19, a month after protests by civil society groups against his government and shortages of fuel and foreign currency.

Nyasa Times 07 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/lipenga-new-malawi-finance-minister/
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