Meet Kenneth Kaunda — The Malawian Who Became Zambia’s First President

Meet Kenneth Kaunda — The Malawian Who Became Zambia’s First President

The story of Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s founding president, begins not in Lusaka, but in the hills of northern Malawi, Nkhatabay in particular. The Livingstonia Mission, established in 1875, trained many Malawians who would later spread education and Christianity across Central Africa. Among them was David Kaunda, a teacher named in honour of Dr. David Livingstone.

After his training, David was sent by the Mission to Lubwa in what is now Zambia to serve as a teacher and assistant missionary around 1904.

It was at Lubwa that David met and married Helen Nyirenda, a fellow Malawian woman from Henga in Rumphi. The couple settled among the Bemba people, and in 1924, their son Buchizya, later known as Kenneth David Kaunda, was born.

The Kaunda household, built on Christian faith, discipline, and education, became a foundation for Kenneth’s life and vision.

Kenneth’s early education began at Lubwa Mission School, where his father taught. After completing his primary education, he attended Munali Training Centre in Lusaka between 1941 and 1943. There, he trained as a teacher and returned to Lubwa to serve as a schoolmaster.

In the 1940s, Kenneth’s path took a political turn. The colonial injustices he witnessed pushed him into activism. He joined the Northern Rhodesia African National Congress (ANC), later breaking away to form the United National Independence Party (UNIP). His charisma and courage made him the face of Zambia’s independence movement.

In  1964, Zambia gained independence, and Kenneth Kaunda became the country’s first President, guiding it through nation-building, education reforms, and Pan-African diplomacy. For nearly three decades, he was the symbol of Zambia’s unity and moral integrity.

Despite his leadership, questions about his nationality followed him. Because his parents were from Malawi, some opponents argued that he was not a “true Zambian.” In 1972, Kaunda formally renounced any claim to Malawian citizenship.

Yet, during the 1991 multiparty transition, his citizenship was again challenged. Courts found he had renounced his Malawian citizenship but had not formally applied for Zambian citizenship, briefly rendering him “stateless.” The issue was later resolved, and his Zambian identity affirmed.

Kaunda’s bond with Malawi remained strong. Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda of Malawi had known his father, David, during his teaching years at Chilanga in Kasungu , and the two presidents shared mutual respect. Kaunda often visited Nkhata Bay, where the Livingstonia Mission once thrived, a symbolic return to his family’s spiritual roots.

Kenneth Kaunda’s life tells the intertwined story of Malawi and Zambia, two nations linked by history, faith, and education. From a missionary’s son in Malawi to the founding father of Zambia, his legacy stands as a reminder that Africa’s borders may divide land, but not the spirit of its people.

Compiled by Hastings Msosa