[1] Thotho was appointed Minister of Information and Civil Education, with Kingsley Namakwa as his deputy, in the cabinet that became effective on 15 June 2009.
[2] In March 2010, the Scottish government announced that they would suspend aid to organizations in Malawi that discriminated against gays.
[6] Thotho caused controversy during his term as Minister of Information with his campaign to change the national flag of Malawi.
[7] Thotho was appointed Minister of Defense in a cabinet reshuffle announced on 9 August 2010.
Although no official reason was given, newspapers speculated that the cause was his decision to purchase arms from the United Kingdom, as recommended by the Army, rather than from China, as preferred by President Bingu wa Mutharika.