Mutotwe L Kafwaya
Mutotwe Kafwaya | |
|---|---|
| Member of the National Assembly of Zambia for Lunte | |
| In office 2016 – 14 August 2026 | |
| Minister of Transport and Communication | |
| In office July 2019 – August 2021 | |
| President | Edgar Lungu |
| Minister of Works and Supply | |
| In office November 2018 – July 2019 | |
| President | Edgar Lungu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 August 1976 |
| Died | 14 August 2026 (aged 49) Lusaka, Zambia |
| Nationality | Zambian |
| Political party | Patriotic Front |
| Spouse(s) | Dinis Ng'andu Kafwaya |
| Profession | Accountant |
Mutotwe L. Kafwaya (28 August 1976 – 14 August 2026) was a Zambian politician, accountant and Member of Parliament who represented the Lunte Constituency for the Patriotic Front (PF). He served as Minister of Works and Supply from November 2018 and as Minister of Transport and Communication from July 2019 under President Edgar Lungu, until the PF left office following the 2021 general election. He continued as an opposition MP and was associated with opposition political activity around the 2026 elections.[1]
He died after being fatally wounded during a joint security operation at the residence of opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile in Kabulonga, Lusaka, on 14 August 2026. His identity was confirmed by family members several days later.[2][3]
Early life and education
Kafwaya was born on 28 August 1976. He trained as an accountant and held qualifications including a BA (Hons) in Accounting, CIMA, an MBA, National Accounting Technician Certificate(NATech) and GCE O' levels.[1]
Political career
Kafwaya was first elected as Member of Parliament for Lunte Constituency in the 2016 general election on the Patriotic Front ticket and was re-elected in 2021.[1]
In November 2018, President Edgar Lungu appointed him Minister of Works and Supply. In July 2019 he was transferred to the Ministry of Transport and Communication, a post he held until the PF’s defeat in the August 2021 presidential and parliamentary elections. After leaving government he continued as a backbench opposition MP for Lunte.[1]
During his time in Parliament he served on various committees, including those dealing with national economy, trade and labour matters; parliamentary reforms and modernisation; transport, works and supply; and national guidance and gender matters.[1]
Kafwaya remained active in opposition politics after 2021. Contemporary reports linked him to the opposition alliance supporting Brian Mundubile in the period around the 2026 presidential election.[3]
In 2022 the Constitutional Court of Zambia reversed an earlier High Court decision that had nullified his 2021 election as Lunte MP, confirming him as duly elected.[4]
Death
On 14 August 2026, a day after the presidential election, a joint task force under the Central Joint Operations Committee (CJOC), including the Drug Enforcement Commission, conducted an intelligence-led operation at the residence of opposition presidential candidate Brian Mundubile in Kabulonga, Lusaka. Mundubile was present at the premises during the raid.[3][2]
Police stated that the team encountered gunfire and resistance, leading to an exchange of fire in which one unidentified man was fatally wounded. He was taken to hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. A firearm was recovered at the scene.[2]
Eleven people were detained at the scene. Their names were later released by Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa. The list included several high-profile figures, but Kafwaya’s name was not among those announced as detained.[2]
Kafwaya’s whereabouts remained publicly unconfirmed for several days. On Wednesday 19 August 2026 his wife, Dinis Ng’andu Kafwaya, filed an application in the Lusaka High Court seeking leave to commence habeas corpus proceedings, arguing that her husband remained in custody without having been brought before a court. Later that same evening, police confirmed that the man killed during the operation had been positively identified by family members as Mutotwe Kafwaya.[2][5]
Authorities linked the operation to national security concerns and reported the recovery of weapons (including automatic rifles and other firearms) and equipment. The eleven detainees were held in connection with alleged offences that included treason-related matters. The incident occurred amid post-election tensions following the presidential election of 13 August 2026.[2][3]
Kafwaya was 49 years old at the time of his death.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Mutotwe L Kafwaya". National Assembly of Zambia. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Former MP Mutotwe Kafwaya confirmed dead after Kabulonga operation". Mwebantu. 19 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Ex-Zambian minister killed in security raid on opposition". BBC News. 20 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Concourt reverses Mutotwe Kafwaya's nullification of his Lunte parliamentary seat". Africa Press. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Mutotwe Kafwaya seeks court order over continued detention". The Zambian Observer. 19 August 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
External links
- Profile at the National Assembly of Zambia
This article "Mutotwe L Kafwaya" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Mutotwe L Kafwaya. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
