President Hakainde Hichilema has nominated five Members of Parliament, including former Foreign Affairs Minister Mulambo Haimbe and National Road Fund Agency chairman Noel Nkhoma, in the first batch of nominated members sworn into Zambia’s 2026-2031 National Assembly.
Key takeaways
- President Hichilema has nominated five Members of Parliament: Mulambo Haimbe, Roma Chilengi, Noel Nkhoma, Gilbert Siame and Mubita Anakoka.
- Speaker Nelly Mutti administered the oath of office to all five at Parliament Buildings in Lusaka.
- Haimbe previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Chilengi is Director-General of the Zambia National Public Health Institute, Nkhoma is an economist and chairman of the National Road Fund Agency, Siame lectures in city and regional planning at the University of Zambia, and Anakoka previously represented Luena constituency.
- Mutti said the oath-taking will continue for the remaining nominated members and for MPs entering under the Mixed Member Proportional Representation system, whose names Parliament has asked the Electoral Commission of Zambia to submit by 17 September.
- The nominations add specialist expertise in public health, economic policy and urban planning to a National Assembly still being assembled from the 13 August general election.
The five were sworn in as the National Assembly continues to induct members returned from the 13 August general election alongside those entering the House by nomination or under the new proportional representation arrangement. Ms Mutti told the ceremony that the process of taking the oath would continue for the remaining nominated members and for the proportional representation MPs still to be confirmed.
Who the President nominated
Mulambo Haimbe served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Mr Hichilema’s first administration, representing Zambia in regional and international forums including COMESA and SADC engagements. His return to the National Assembly as a nominated member follows that ministerial tenure.
Roma Chilengi is Director-General of the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI), the agency responsible for disease surveillance and public health emergency response. He has represented Zambia at regional and continental forums on health security, including discussions on public health emergency operations centres and vaccine manufacturing partnerships.
Noel Nkhoma is an economist who has chaired the National Road Fund Agency, the statutory body responsible for financing road construction, rehabilitation and maintenance through the fuel levy and other road user charges. His nomination brings a public infrastructure financing background to the House.
Gilbert Siame is a lecturer and researcher in city and regional planning in the University of Zambia’s Department of Geography, with a research record in urban planning and informal settlement upgrading. He becomes one of the academicians nominated to the chamber.
Mubita Anakoka previously represented Luena constituency in Western Province. His nomination returns him to the National Assembly outside the constituency he formerly held.
More oaths to follow
Zambia’s Constitution allows the President to nominate members to the National Assembly in addition to those elected directly in constituencies, a mechanism successive presidents have used to bring specific expertise, such as law, health, finance or public administration, into the House. Monday’s five nominees are the first tranche of the President’s nominated members to take the oath for the 2026-2031 term; Ms Mutti’s remarks indicate more nominated members are still to be sworn in.
Those nominations run alongside a separate process for the Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMPR) system introduced for the 2026 election, which guarantees representation for women, youths and persons with disabilities through a party-list mechanism rather than direct nomination. The National Assembly has asked the Electoral Commission of Zambia to submit the names of MMPR members by 17 September, so that they can be inducted alongside directly elected and nominated members rather than as a separate, later batch.
Why it matters
The five nominees weight the President’s picks toward technical portfolios rather than party organising roles. A former Foreign Affairs Minister, a public health institute director, a road-financing agency chairman and a University of Zambia planning academic give the National Assembly direct access to expertise on trade diplomacy, health security, infrastructure financing and urban development, areas that feed directly into budget scrutiny and policy debate over the new term. How that expertise is used on committees, rather than the fact of the nomination itself, will be the measure of whether it changes how Parliament handles those files.
Related coverage
- National Assembly Sets 17 September Deadline for ECZ to Name Proportional Representation MPs
- How Zambia’s Mixed-Member Proportional Representation System Works
- Jacqueline Sabao Sworn In for Second Term as Chikankata MP
Explore The Zambian Economist
Discover more ways to connect with Zambia’s business and economic community:
- Browse the Business Directory
- Explore upcoming events
- Advertise with The Zambian Economist
- Submit an article
Update: Haimbe, Chilengi and Siame have since been sworn in as ministers. Hichilema Swears In Four Ministers: Haimbe Returns at Foreign Affairs, Musokotwane Retained at Finance
WARNING! All rights reserved. This material and all other digital content on this website may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed, in whole or in part, without the prior express permission of The Zambian Economist. Where permission is granted, the content must be clearly credited to “The Zambian Economist,” with “www.zambianeconomist.com” prominently displayed.
WhatsApp: +260775574228 | Email: info@zambianeconomist.com
© 2026 The Zambian Economist.
