The appointment of Kenneth Mphepo, popularly known as Group Andrew, as Senior Chief Machinjiri in Blantyre has triggered a fierce backlash within the Machinjiri royal family, with angry relatives dragging the matter to court in a bid to overturn the decision.

President Peter Mutharika elevated Andrew from Group Village Head to Senior Chief, but the royal family says the promotion was irregular, unlawful and ignored long-established traditional procedures.

One of the royal family members, Matthews Frazildo, told this publication that the family decided to seek court intervention after discovering what they describe as a "dangerous shortcut" in the chieftaincy appointment process.

"It is impossible for a Group Village Head to jump directly to Traditional Authority level. There are procedures that must be followed. One must first become a Senior Group Village Head or Sub Traditional Authority before being considered for promotion by the President," said Frazildo.

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He accused authorities of sidelining Senior Chief Machinjiri in the process, saying the promotion was pushed through without proper consultation.

"For us, this was done in total disregard of tradition and the law. Senior Chief Machinjiri was supposed to handle the earlier stages of the promotion process, but that never happened. The system was bypassed," he said.

The disgruntled family members are now seeking an injunction to block Andrew from exercising powers as Senior Chief Machinjiri while the court determines the legality of his appointment. They also want him reverted to his previous position as Group Village Head.

In a move that exposes deepening tensions within the royal establishment, the family has also petitioned Paramount Chief Kawinga, the Yao Chief Council, Chiwanja Cha Ayao and Senior Chief Machinjiri to intervene before the dispute spirals further.

Frazildo dismissed claims that the resistance against Andrew is tribal, insisting the family has no issue with his Lomwe background despite Machinjiri being a predominantly Yao area.

"People should stop twisting this into a tribal issue. We already have chiefs from different ethnic groups in the area. This fight is about procedure, legality and respect for tradition," he said.

As pressure mounts, both the Government and Senior Chief Kawinga had not yet commented on the growing controversy by press time.