Kenneth Lutena
Stories bylined Kenneth Lutena at Zambia Monitor, gathered on Lakatips with a link to each original.
32 stories
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Business
Catholic priest Tyola, UPND’s Bwalya, reportedly reconcile
Catholic priest Father (Fr) Henry Tyola and United Party for National Development (UPND) official Frank Bwalya have reportedly reconciled following a dispute over alleged defamation and cyber-related abuse. Last week, Zambia Monitor reported that Bwalya, had threatened legal action against Fr Tyola over the alleged…
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Sport
Chants in support of Mundubile, Makebi Zulu at football match receive UPND’s condemnation
United Party for National Development (UPND) Copperbelt provincial chairperson, Elisha Matambo, has condemned political chants at Nkana Stadium in support of incarcerated opposition figures Brian Mundubile and Makebi Zulu, warning that such conduct would not be tolerated at sporting venues. The remarks follow reports of…
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Crime & Courts
Police arrest 68-year-old man over alleged sexual abuse in Kitwe
Police in Kitwe have arrested a 68-year-old man for allegedly sexually abusing an 18-year-old woman with a mental disability in Chipata Compound. Copperbelt Province Police Commanding Officer, Rae Hamoonga, said the incident reportedly occurred on October 7, 2026, according to an account given by the…
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Politics
UPND official threatens legal action against Kitwe priest over alleged online attacks
United Party for National Development (UPND) official, Frank Bwalya, says he plans to sue and report Kitwe-based priest, Father Henry Tyola, to the police for alleged defamation and cyberbullying. Tyola, an assistant priest at St Joseph Catholic Church in Bulangililo, is alleged to have made…
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Entertainment
Leadership crisis engulfs Zambia’s Mine Suppliers Association
A leadership crisis has engulfed the Association of Mine Suppliers and Contractors (AMSC), with members in Kitwe demanding that president Costa Mwaba step down, accusing him of failing to champion their interests and unilaterally reshuffling the association’s leadership. During a heated meeting chaired by Mwaba…
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Zambia
Lusaka council’s ‘operation clear path’ only forcing poverty out of sight, not solving it —M’membe
Socialist Party (SP) leader, Fred M’membe, has described Lusaka City Council (LCC)’s “Operation Clear Path,” without providing economic alternative, as a human cost of government’s repeated institutional failure. Lusaka Mayor elect, Chitambala Mwewa, is currently leading a crackdown on street vending in the city after…
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Crime & Courts
More organizations join solidarity for Archbishop Banda, call for justice
The Association of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe (ACB-MAZAZI) has expressed sadness and concern following the legal proceedings, arrest and detention of Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda. Banda recently appeared before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and subsequently in court after spending a…
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Lifestyle
African Catholic bishops back Banda’s claim that controversial car returned in 2023
The Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) has expressed solidarity with Lusaka Archbishop Alick Banda, emphasising the need for justice, fairness, human dignity and due process. The solidarity message followed Archbishop Banda’s recent appearance before the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) and subsequent…
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Lifestyle
Catholic bishops fear Zambia in the grip of tribal politics, other societal ills; call for dialogue, reconciliation
The Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) has raised concern over the manipulation of ethnic identities and tribal sentiments for political purposes, warning that such tendencies risked creating divisions and mistrust among Zambians. In a pastoral statement on the state of the nation, the bishops…
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Crime & Courts
Police hunt for three men after alleged gang rape, robbery in Zambia’s Mansa
Zambian police have launched a manhunt for three men who allegedly gang-raped a 26-year-old woman during a robbery in Mansa District of Luapula Province, police said. Mansa Central Police Station received a report of aggravated robbery and rape from Aubrey Kasongo, 26, of Kasheshe Village…
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Technology
AI more than future tech: How Zambia can harness artificial intelligence for economic growth, by Kenneth Lutena
No matter how small or large an economy is, the use of modern technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) is an inevitable tool for achieving key economic milestones. This calls for scalable and robust information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure to support the widespread roll-out…
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Crime & Courts
Five escape custody at Chinsali hospital, three recaptured
Five people escaped from lawful custody while working at Chinsali General Hospital in Muchinga Province on Wednesday, with three later recaptured and two still on the run, police said. Muchinga Province Police Commissioner, Lubinda Mayamba, said the incident happened at around 1300 hours on Sept…
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Crime & Courts
16-year-old on the run after alleged defilement of two-year-old in Kawambwa
Police in Kawambwa District of Luapula Province have launched a manhunt for a 16-year-old boy who is alleged to have defiled a two-year-old girl. Luapula Province Police Commanding Officer, Lucky Munkhondya, said police received a report of defilement at Kawambwa Police Station on Sept. 21…
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Business
Zambia economy grows 5.4% in 2025, September inflation eases to 6.1%
Zambia’s economy grew by 5.4% in 2025, accelerating from 3.8% in 2024, while annual inflation eased slightly to 6.1% in September 2026, the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) said on Thursday. The final annual gross domestic product (GDP) estimates at constant 2010 prices represented a 1.6…
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Business
Three illegal miners die in Chingola KCM dumpsite collapse
Three illegal miners have died after loose soil collapsed at the Ore Body (OB)-19 Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) dumpsite along the Chingola-Solwezi Road in Chingola District, police said. Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer, Rae Hamoonga, said the incident occurred on September 23, 2026, at about 18:20…
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Politics
Zambia needs reconciliation before term-limit debate, political scientist says
Zambia needs national healing and reconciliation before any debate on removing the presidential term limit, political scientist Dr James Musonda said on Tuesday, describing calls to extend President Hakainde Hichilema’s tenure as “absurd”. Musonda said it was inappropriate to push for constitutional changes on presidential…
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Business
KCM smelter resumes operations after 106-day shutdown
Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has resumed operations at its Nchanga copper smelter in Chingola following a 106-day shutdown for a US$40 million rehabilitation programme. KCM said on Monday it had successfully cast its first copper anode following the rehabilitation, the first major refurbishment of the…
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Business
World Bank Group mobilizes $112 billion in private capital in 2026
The World Bank Group mobilized a record US$112 billion in private capital in fiscal year 2026, more than tripling the amount recorded four years earlier, as it ramps up efforts to channel private investment into developing economies. The Group said in a statement on Friday…
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Crime & Courts
‘No political fights for me,’ Chitimukulu urges diplomacy amid criticisms over political silence
Paramount Chief Chitimukulu has called for diplomacy and prayer in addressing the country’s political tensions, saying he would not be drawn into political disputes despite criticism on social media over his silence on the arrest of opposition leaders. Speaking during the unveiling of the Crocodile…
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Business
Copper tipped to reach $15,000 per tonne this week
Report shows copper prices could break through US$15,000 for the first time as soon as this week, analysts say according to Reuters. This is as a result of investors positioning themselves for another round of US economic data and President Donald Trump keeps the market…
