Party spokesperson, Felix Njawala, says the UTM will greatly miss the contribution that Banda was making to the affairs of the party.

Banda died yesterday at a hospital in South Africa because of a kidney problem.

Meanwhile, There is mourning on the street of Malawi at the passing of one of the country's music icon Lucius Banda, the man the nation fondly called soldier for the poor.

The general feeling is that the departure of the music maestro-cum-politician has created a that will be difficult to fill. Some Malawians describe Lucius as a selfless musician who dedicated his time in grooming a lot of musicians and a man who helped shape local politics.