Background
He was born on August 6, 1934, at Kaning'a village in the central region near Kasungu.
He was born on August 6, 1934, at Kaning'a village in the central region near Kasungu.
Educated in schools at Mdabwi, Chiphaso and Pherere before going to Zomba Catholic Secondary School where he took his Junior Certificate in 1957. After two years at St John’s Bosco Teachers’ Training College he qualified and began teaching in the central region in 1959.
Five years later he received a scholarship to Moray House College of Education, Edinburgh, Scotland where he obtained a diploma in education in 1964. At Kenya’s Nairobi College he obtained a certificate in modern mathematics and returned to be headmaster of the primary school at Kasungu. He attended several study tours and conferences which took him to Britain, France, Germany, Sweden, Spain and Portugal.
He entered the National Assembly as MP for Kasungu on June 15, 1971. He was promoted to the cabinet on April 4, as Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare. Six months later President Banda made him Minister without Portfolio so that he could be on hand for special assignments and take some of the burdens of the presidency by travelling at home and abroad on missions.