ENGINEERS DEMAND CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION: EIZ PRESIDENT FIRES WARNING SHOT AT BILL 7 DRAFTERS
In a no-holds-barred public statement, the President of the Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ), Eng. Wesley Wyman Kaluba, has launched a direct challenge to the drafters of Bill 7, calling for the immediate constitutional recognition of engineering, science, and innovation.
Representing over 95,000 engineering professionals nationwide, Kaluba warned that Zambia will continue to underperform developmentally if it continues to marginalize its technical workforce.
Kaluba accused successive governments of treating engineering as an afterthought, despite the fact that engineers are central to nearly every pillar of national development from infrastructure and energy to water, telecommunications, and health systems. He described the Constitution as a “national blueprint” that currently sends the wrong message to the youth by prioritizing law, politics, and economics while excluding science and innovation.
“We have constitutional offices for economic planning, legal affairs, and communications. But not for engineering, science, or innovation. Does that not contradict logic and national interest?” he asked. Kaluba warned that this systemic exclusion is more than symbolic; it’s a barrier to industrialization, modernization, and the achievement of long-term development goals.
In a pointed revelation, Kaluba disclosed that EIZ has formally submitted proposals to the government for more than 40 years advocating for the creation of senior advisory roles such as a Chief Technical Advisor on Engineering, Innovation, and Industrialization at State House. However, he said these appeals have been met with silence or dismissal, reflecting a dangerous underestimation of the country’s own technical capacity.
The EIZ President proposed six constitutional reforms, including the creation of a constitutional office for engineering, legal provisions for local engineering input in public procurement, and guaranteed public investment in technical education.
He further demanded mandatory inclusion of engineers in national planning bodies and engineering audits for all major projects. These reforms, Kaluba argued, would not only safeguard public interest but also help develop local content and protect Zambian professionals from being sidelined in favor of foreign contractors.
“These proposals are not radical,” Kaluba said. “Rwanda, Kenya, and Ghana are already implementing similar models, and they are seeing measurable developmental results. Why is Zambia still lagging behind?” He emphasized that unless the Constitution itself protects engineering and innovation, the country will remain stuck in a cycle of dependence and missed opportunities.
Kaluba’s intervention comes at a critical time, as the Ministry of Justice and various stakeholders finalize consultations on Bill 7. He urged them to shift their perspective and see the Constitution not merely as a legal framework, but as a developmental instrument that should empower those who are trained to build the nation literally and structurally.
This bold and unfiltered message marks a rare moment of political assertion by the engineering profession in Zambia. It signals a new era where engineers are no longer content to remain in the background while decisions affecting national development are made without their expertise. It also places fresh pressure on lawmakers to rethink what a truly inclusive, future-facing Constitution should look like.
June 5, 2025
©️ KUMWESU
Have you lobbied or just seeking attention? Mr. Kaluba you have been in office for about a year now. Seen taking pictures with Ministers at various forums.
Why have you not raised the issue there? Stop being a politican and be a professional.
We have always seen your members to be professionals and should have raised this even before your tenure.
Its sad that you should want to raise this issue in this manner.
What’s Wesley Kaluba trying to say here? He clearly needs help. Who’s stopping engineers from being innovative and inventive?