He was appointed Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in the government of President Bingu wa Mutharika of Malawi on 17 June 2009.
He then held a position as a research scientist in Entomology with the Ministry of Agriculture in Malawi for one year.
He left this job after obtaining a Ford Foundation International Fellowship to pursue advanced studies in the United States, attending Ohio State University and earning Masters and PhD degrees in Microbiology.
In May 2009, he was selected by president Bingu wa Mutharika to become a cabinet Minister, expected to get the Education portfolio.
In a cabinet shuffle of 9 August 2010 he was reassigned to become Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, a job previously held by the President.