Esther Mcheka-Chilenje

Esther Mcheka Chilenje is a Malawian politician from the Democratic Progressive Party. She was MP for Nsanje North from 2014 to 2021. She had been defeated in an election to be the Speaker of the house. She became Malawi's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations in 2022.

Career She was elected to Parliament in the 2014 general election and served as deputy speaker. On 19 June 2019, Catherine Gotani Hara was elected the first female Speaker of the National Assembly, with 97 votes to 93, over Mcheka Chilenje. Only a third of the 2019 assembly were re-elected MPs. This was seen as an achievement, because of a nationwide target to achieve a 50:50 representation for women in parliament. This was achieved in Nsanje District,because there were five constituencies and 60% of them were represented by women. Catherine Gotani Hara was a member of the MCP party and she stood against Chilenje for the position of Speaker in the National Assembly. The position had only ever been held by a man. Chilenje lost the election to Catherine Gotani Hara and Hara became the first woman speaker.

There was a court -ordered by-election in 2021 where Chileje was defeated. She later complained that she had been swindled by a fraudster.

Mcheka Chilenje served as Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations in 2022.