Saulos Klaus Chilima, the former vice-president of Malawi who died recently in a plane crash, brought to Malawian politics several qualities that made him stand out. But he was also a controversial character.
He had a business background and an unusual combination of social science and economics qualifications. Above all, he struck me as someone who was deeply committed to reducing hunger and poverty in Malawi.
I got to know Vice-President Chilima between 2016 and 2021 when I was leader of the International Food Policy Research Institute’s country programme in Malawi. The organisation’s mission is to provide research-based solutions to reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition.
