Political analyst George Phiri has told us that Khembo should be remembered for his role in shaping the country's democracy.

He said the late Khembo helped people to understand multiparty democracy when many Malawians were used to one party system.

“Clement Khembo at that time helped to define that multiparty democracy is not war but it is a system of government that allows various political parties to participate in the affairs of running the government,” said Phiri.

The United Democratic Front (UDF), through Secretary General Kandi Padambo, says it has lost one of its founding members.

Said Padambo, “We have lost a veteran who worked so hard to build the party and we convey our deepest condolences to the family of Hon. Clement Khembo.”

Former Minister of Information during the Bakili Muluzi administration Clement Stambuli said Khembo was an accomplished politician, having served as the first regional governor of UDF in the South, MP and Cabinet minister.

“Khembo was one of the few people that came out to fight for democracy in the country. He was a very prominent and reliable member of the UDF. He served in many political positions, first as regional governor for the South then as member of parliament and cabinet minister,” said Stambuli.

He further described Khembo’s demise as the end of the first crop of UDF regional governors.

He recounted that Khembo’s counterparts were Maurice Kachimbwinda, regional governor for the centre, and Greenwell Mwamondwe for the north.

The body of Khembo, who served as Minister of Disability and the Elderly during the Muluzi administration, was taken from College of Medicine mortuary in Blantyre on Tuesday to Mandala where vigil was held.

On Wednesday, the body will depart Blantyre, after mass at St. Montfort CI (Catholic Institute), to Chikwawa for burial on Thursday.