Famous Malawian comedian-turned-politician, Micheal Usi, has been sworn as Malawi’s vice-president at a ceremony held in parliament at the capital city, Lilongwe.
The 55-year-old is replacing, Saulos Chilima, who passed away in a plane crash with eight other people earlier this month.
Usi had gotten a standing ovation when he spoke after his inauguration, saying he accepted the role with a mixture of sadness and gratitude.
The comedian had also promised to honor his predecessor’s memory, thanking President Lazarus Chakwera for believing in him to act as his vice-president.
Usi’s appointment comes with mixed feelings for Malawians, with some of them taking to social media to share clips of his acting career, querying whether he would take his new role seriously and others praised President Chakwera for appointing Chilima’s party deputy and honouring the spirit of the alliance between their two parties.
Usi is well-known for being a passionate advocate for developing and promoting Malawi’s film industry.
He is married with two daughters and holds a PhD in youth development from the University of Bedfordshire in the UK.
