Peter Kapala takes Electricity, Makozo Chikote Petroleum and Brenda Tambatamba Mines as President Hakainde Hichilema swears in Cabinet and provincial ministers at State House.
Key takeaways
- President Hakainde Hichilema swore in 24 Cabinet ministers and ten provincial ministers at State House on 28 October 2026. Four Cabinet ministers were sworn in separately in September.
- 18 of the 38 ministers list a postgraduate qualification in public records, and four hold doctorates. Postgraduate training is concentrated in Cabinet: 16 of 28, against two of ten provincial ministers.
- 16 of the 38 have held ministerial or provincial minister office before.
- Qualifications for five ministers are not published in Parliament’s records or other sources checked.
LUSAKA, 28 October 2026. President Hakainde Hichilema has sworn in newly appointed ministers at State House, assigning portfolios across the economic, security and social sectors. He also swore in ten provincial ministers.
The tables below give each minister’s portfolio and the highest qualification listed in public records, in the same format for every appointee. The full profiles, with professions, earlier offices and sources, are in the downloadable PDF.
Download the full list of ministers with their qualifications (PDF)
All 38 ministers: qualifications as listed, profession, earlier offices, constituency and sources.
Newly sworn-in Cabinet ministers
| Minister | Portfolio | Highest qualification listed |
|---|---|---|
| Ambrose Lufuma | Defence | MA, Community and Regional Planning |
| Clement Andeleki | Home Affairs and Internal Security | PhD in Laws |
| Moses Moyo | Agriculture | Bachelor of Business Administration |
| Olive Chiboola | Fisheries and Livestock | MSc, Agricultural Economics |
| Caroline Katotobwe | Trade and Exports | PhD, Business Management |
| Noel Nkhoma | Industry | Postgraduate diploma (UK) |
| Lucky Sichone | Small and Medium Enterprise Development | Not published |
| Brenda Tambatamba | Mines and Minerals Development | MA, Social and Community Work (Bradford) |
| Peter Kapala | Electricity | Master's, Civil and Structural Engineering |
| Makozo Chikote | Petroleum | BA |
| Princess Kasune | Tourism | Master of Divinity; Master's, Non-Profit Administration |
| Collins Nzovu | Infrastructure and Urban Development | Master's, Water Engineering |
| Patrick Mucheleka | Lands | Not published |
| Elisha Matambo | Water Development and Sanitation | MBA |
| Elvis Nkandu | Information and Media | Diploma, Business Management |
| Douglas Syakalima | Skills and Higher Education | MSc, Applied Psychology |
| Felix Mutati | Technology and Science | ACCA; Bachelor of Accountancy |
| Harry Kamboni | Education | BA Education |
| Gift Sialubalo | Local Government and Rural Development | Not published |
| Jack Mwiimbu | Justice | LLB |
| Misheck Nyambose | Labour and Social Security | Degree, Human Resource Management |
| Sheal Mulyata | Community Development and Social Services | Banking certificates |
| Likando Mufalali | Youth and Sports | Diploma in Management |
| Christopher Chibuye | Culture and Arts | BA, Public Administration |
Provincial ministers sworn in
Update, 28 October 2026: President Hichilema also swore in ten provincial ministers at State House today, one for each province.
| Provincial minister | Province | Highest qualification listed |
|---|---|---|
| Mwabashike Nkulukusa | Central | MBA |
| Emmanuel Kasambo | Copperbelt | Not published |
| Yamikani Phiri | Eastern | Not published |
| Lesley Mulwanda | Luapula | Bachelor of Mineral Science |
| Obvious Mwaliteta | Lusaka | Grade 12 |
| Jairo Simbeye | Muchinga | Grade 12 |
| Wedden Chileshe | Northern | Master's, Development Innovation and Entrepreneurship |
| Robert Lihefu | North-Western | Bachelor of Business Administration |
| Edgar Sing’ombe | Southern | Diploma in Legal Studies |
| Kapelwa Astley Mbangweta | Western | BA, Public Administration |
Spelling note: the State House list names the Central, Muchinga and Western Province ministers as Shabashike Nkulusa, Jairos Simbeye and Kapelwa Ashley Mbangweta. National Assembly records give Mwabashike Nkulukusa, Jairo Simbeye and Kapelwa Astley Mbangweta, which we use here.
Ministers appointed in September
Four ministers were sworn in on 14 September 2026, separately from today’s appointments.
| Minister | Portfolio | Highest qualification listed |
|---|---|---|
| Situmbeko Musokotwane | Finance and National Planning | PhD, Monetary Economics |
| Mulambo Haimbe | Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation | LLM, Construction Law and Arbitration |
| Gilbert Siame | Green Economy and Environment | PhD, City and Regional Planning (UCT) |
| Roma Chilengi | Health | MBChB; MSc Epidemiology (London) |
What the line-up shows on paper
Postgraduate training sits mainly in Cabinet. Sixteen of the 28 Cabinet ministers list a master’s degree, doctorate, professional accountancy qualification or postgraduate diploma. Two of the ten provincial ministers do. Two provincial ministers list Grade 12 as their highest qualification.
The economic portfolios most tied to the Grow Zambia Agenda targets show a mixed match between training and brief. Finance is held by a monetary economist, Fisheries and Livestock by an agricultural economist, and Electricity by a structural engineer who has served as Minister of Energy. Trade and Exports goes to a holder of a doctorate in business management, and Industry to a former bank executive. Mines is held by a social worker by training who previously ran Labour. Agriculture goes to a business administration graduate. The Small and Medium Enterprise Development minister’s qualifications are not published.
Experience is spread more evenly. Sixteen of the 38 have held ministerial or provincial minister office before, including the ministers now responsible for Electricity, Petroleum, Justice and Local Government. Some appointees, such as Olive Chiboola and Lesley Mulwanda, bring technical training but no earlier ministerial office found in public records.
These records capture formal qualifications and earlier offices only. They do not measure management record, and the qualifications listed have not been checked with awarding institutions.
How we compiled the profiles
Qualifications and professions come from National Assembly of Zambia member profiles, where each member supplies the information. Where a profile was blank, mostly for new and nominated members, we used institutional pages and press profiles. “Not published” means the information did not appear in any source checked. Earlier offices are listed only where a source confirms them.
Completeness note: the 24 Cabinet appointments today and the four in September account for 28 ministerial portfolios. Appointments for Transport and Logistics and Housing were not confirmed in the material checked for this report.
Download the full list of ministers with their qualifications (PDF)
All 38 ministers: qualifications as listed, profession, earlier offices, constituency and sources.
Related coverage: the ministry realignment request and Thirty Ministries, Eight Targets. Follow our Leadership and Governance coverage.
File photograph: President Hakainde Hichilema in Lusaka, 19 April 2023. The photograph does not depict today’s ceremony. Credit: TheophilusMaurice / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Unmodified. The photograph retains its Creative Commons licence.
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