Robert Katumba Kamalata eyes Mwinilunga parley seat

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Robert Katumba Kamalata eyes Mwinilunga parley seat

By Derrick Sinjela and Ashton Kelly Bunda

FORMER Senior Private Secretary to Dr. Guy Lindsay Scott, Robert Katumba Kamalata is in the race to Parliament seeking to represent for Mwinilunga Constituency, in the North-Western Province of Zambia.

Mr. Kamalata successfully filled in his adoption papers at Mwinilunga UPND constituency office on Thursday 18th March 2021 before Mwinilunga Constituency Secretary Mr. Silver Kachong’u and Constituency Acting Chairperson Ms. Edith Mashindi.

Mr Kamalata, who served in the Office of the Vice President as Senior Private Secretary for Dr. Guy Lindsay Scott is standing on the United Party for National Development (UPND), a political party led by entreprenuer-turned politician Mr. Hakainde Hichilema.

An optimistic Mr. Kamalata states that he has exercised his democratic right to stand on UNPD ticket considering its strong stance in improving livelihood for humanity especially education, health, social amenities, infrastructure and more so the aspect of carrying everyone along on its developmental path for the entire country.

“For a long time, Mwinilunga district has been neglected and sidelined in terms of development prospects and actualised pledges, even for a basic proper road network. I believe my aspiration to stand as Member of Parliament resonates well with what the UPND intends to achieve. It is ideal that I position myself with a party that speaks the same languages as myself; targeting everyone without being secluded on the tribal ground, or one’s political affiliation, Mr Kamalata said.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia in Section 33 of the Electoral Act No. 12 of 2006 stipulates that any person desiring to be a candidate for an election shall file application documents with the Returning Officer, which include the topical Grade 12 Certificate.

Mr. Kamalata has served under the five (5) different Heads of State carrying out various national tasks; from overseeing state functions at Cabinet Office to being in charge of protocol duties at the Foreign Affairs Ministry and above all serving as special advisor to Zambia’s 12th former Vice President Dr. Guy Lindsay Scott. These are a few duties among the many that he embarked for the last 20 years of civil services.

With a population pegged at 15, 704 in the 2010 National Census,  Mwinilunga is a constituency of the National Assembly of Zambia covering Chimwishi, Lumwana, Mushinshi and Mwinilunga towns in North-Western Province.

The original Mwinilunga constituency was formed for the 1964 Legislative Council elections.

In 1973,  Mwinilunga Constituency was split into Mwinilunga East and Mwinilunga West.

Mwinilunga East was subsequently renamed Mwinilunga in 2011, with Mwinilunga East being renamed Ikeleng’i, a seat currently held by UPND’s Elijah Muchima.

Since 2016, 2016 Mr. Newton Samakayi of the United Party for National Development has been Member of Parliament.

Sadly, since Zambia gained self-rule from Britain, no female has served as a representative at Manda Hill, with of a male  John Japau of the Zambian African National Congress (ZANC) being elected in 1964,
Peter Matoka of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) was the 2nd  MP in 1968, and Rhodes Mangangu of the United National Independence Party became
Mwinilunga East’s 3rd MP in 1973 and in 1978, Ben Kakoma of the United National Independence Party became the 4th MP.

In 1983, Ben Kakoma of the United National Independence Party served a second term and in 1988. Saimon Nyamboji of the United National Independence Party won the parley seat.

In 1991, at the dawn of a return to Multi-party politics, David Samanana of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy became MP, and was in
1996 succeeded by David Kambilumbilu of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy.

In 2001, James Katoka United Party for National Development
2003 (by-election) James Katoka of the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy won the seat, while in 2006, Stephen Katuka of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) won as
Mwinilunga MP and
the United Party for National Development National Chairperson served a second term in 2011.

In 2016, Mr. Newton Samakayi of the United Party for National Development
was elected as the 10th Member of Parliament for Mwinilunga.