Career
He gained the position of Defence Minister on 1 June 2006 during a cabinet reshuffle. He was the foreign minister from early in 2005 until June 2006. Previously he was the minister of natural resources from June 2004 until early 2005, and before that he was the parliament speaker.
In May 2007, President Bingu wa Mutharika removed him from his post in the Defence Ministry under pressure from the Malawi Defence Force officers who demanded his removal.