Romeo Kangombe, the UPND Member of Parliament for Sesheke East, has been reappointed to the parliamentary committee that oversees Zambia’s energy, water and tourism sectors, this time as a member rather than its chairperson.
Key takeaways
- Sesheke East MP Romeo Kangombe was appointed on 20 October 2026 to the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism of the Fourteenth National Assembly.
- Kangombe says he chaired the same committee for most of his earlier time in the House, and will now serve as an ordinary member under a new chair.
- He has pledged technical and institutional support on the committee’s portfolio, which covers the ministries responsible for energy, water and tourism.
- The appointment comes as Zambia pursues a 10,000MW generation target and prepares for a possible El Niño season that could again cut hydropower output.
The committee appointments were announced on Tuesday, 20 October, as the Fourteenth National Assembly settled its sessional committees for the 2026 to 2031 term. Kangombe, who was sworn in for a third term in September, confirmed his place on the Committee on Energy, Water Development and Tourism in a statement on his Facebook page.
“We look forward to being led this time, having been leading and chairing the committee for the longest,” he wrote. He said he hoped to learn from colleagues and welcomed what he called “diverse leadership”.
From chair to member
Committee line-ups are reset at the start of each new Parliament. It is less common for a former chair to say publicly that he is content to step back. Kangombe framed the move as a chance to contribute experience rather than direction, promising “technical and institutional support regarding matters surrounding the portfolio functions of the committee.”
That experience has practical value. Portfolio committees examine ministry budgets, question permanent secretaries and controlling officers, inspect projects and table reports that the House debates. A member who already knows the sector’s files can shorten the learning curve for a committee with many first-term MPs after the 2026 delimitation added 70 new constituencies.
Why this committee matters for the economy
“Energy is the backbone of every economy,” Kangombe wrote, and the last two years make the point for Zambia. The 2023/24 drought drove Lake Kariba to record lows and forced load-shedding of up to 21 hours a day in parts of 2024, hitting mines, factories, farmers and small traders who run on grid power.
Government has since set a target of 10,000MW of generation capacity under the Grow Zambia Agenda, with solar, thermal and private investment expected to carry much of the expansion. We examined that target here. Forecasters have also warned of a strong El Niño for 2026/27, which could again reduce rainfall across the Zambezi basin. Read our coverage of the power-gap warning.
Water development and tourism sit in the same portfolio. Both depend on the Zambezi as much as electricity does. For Western Province, and for Sesheke East on the Namibian border, tourism around the Zambezi and the Kazungula corridor is one of the few sectors able to bring in foreign exchange outside mining.
What to watch
| Area | What the committee is likely to examine |
|---|---|
| Power generation | Progress on new solar and thermal capacity against the 10,000MW target |
| Drought readiness | Hydropower planning and load-management ahead of the 2026/27 rainy season |
| Water development | Water supply and sanitation projects, borehole and dam programmes |
| Tourism | Promotion budgets and infrastructure linked to Victoria Falls and the Zambezi |
Kangombe thanked the Speaker for “the trust and confidence” placed in him and fellow members. He closed his message with the words “Nikandelezi shangwee muñaka.”
Related: Sesheke East’s Romeo Kangombe Sworn In for a Third Term | Iris Kaingu Takes Mwandi Seat: What Her Win Means for Western Province’s Economy
Related: Kawina Takes the Chair at Public Accounts Committee, Succeeding Mwambazi
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