Kenneth Kaunda

Kenneth Kaunda, also known as KK, was a Zambian politician who served as the first president of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He played a key role in leading Zambia to independence from the British Empire. Before becoming president, he was unhappy with the leadership of another group and started his own political party called the United National Independence Party (UNIP).

After Zambia gained independence, Kaunda became the country's first president. In 1973, because of conflicts between different groups, he made a change to the rules so that only his party, UNIP, could operate. This helped him stay in power for many years. However, during this time, Zambia faced serious economic problems, partly because of a worldwide oil crisis and dropping prices for the things Zambia sold.

Eventually, people became unhappy with how things were run, and in 1991, elections were held where people could choose between different parties again. A leader named Frederick Chiluba from the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy won and replaced Kaunda as president. Later, in 1998, Kaunda’s citizenship was taken away for a short time, but it was returned to him in 2000.

Early life

Kenneth Kaunda was born on 28 April 1924 in Chinsali, a place that was part of Northern Rhodesia and is now in Zambia. He was the youngest of eight children. His father, Reverend David Kaunda, was a teacher and missionary from Nyasaland, which is now Malawi. His mother, Helen Nyirenda Kaunda, was also a teacher and was the first African woman to teach in that area.

Kaunda grew up learning from his parents, who were both teachers among the Bemba people. After his father passed away when he was young, Kenneth continued his education. He became a teacher himself, first in Northern Rhodesia and later in Tanganyika Territory, now part of Tanzania, and also in Southern Rhodesia. He studied at Munali Training Centre in Lusaka from 1941 to 1943. Early in his career, he was inspired by the writings of Mahatma Gandhi.

Independence struggle and presidency

Kenneth Kaunda began his political career in 1949 as a founding member of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress. In 1953, he moved to Lusaka to become Secretary General of the Africa National Congress under Harry Nkumbula. However, Kaunda and Nkumbula had different ideas, and Kaunda eventually broke away to form his own party, the Zambian African National Congress, in 1958. This party was later banned, and Kaunda was imprisoned.

When Kaunda was released from prison in 1960, he became president of the United National Independence Party (UNIP). In 1964, after winning elections, he became the first president of independent Zambia, with Reuben Kamanga as his vice-president.

Educational policies

When Zambia gained independence, its education system needed much improvement. There were very few university graduates and even fewer students with secondary education. To fix this, Kaunda made sure all children could get free school supplies like exercise books, pens, and pencils. Parents had to buy uniforms and pay small school fees, but every child had a chance to learn.

The University of Zambia opened in 1966, built with donations from people across the country. Kaunda served as Chancellor and attended the first graduation in 1969. Over time, more campuses and vocational schools were added to help train more people in different fields.

Economic policies

Zambia had a strong economy when it became independent, mostly because of its rich mineral resources. However, Kaunda made some poor economic choices that hurt the country. He tried to control the economy by taking over foreign-owned businesses, but this led to problems. Rising oil prices and falling copper prices made things worse, and Zambia faced serious financial difficulties. Efforts to fix the economy in the 1980s did not work well, and this contributed to Kaunda losing power in 1991.

One-party state and "African socialism"

After becoming president, Kaunda began to limit opposition. He banned other political parties and made UNIP the only party allowed. He introduced an idea called Zambian Humanism, which mixed government control with traditional African values like helping each other and working together. This system was managed by Kaunda alone, and he was the only president elected during his time in power.

Foreign policy

Kaunda strongly opposed unfair treatment of Black people in Southern Africa and supported movements fighting for change. He allowed groups working against unfair governments to base their operations in Zambia. Kaunda also tried to get modern weapons for Zambia but was refused by the United States, so he bought some from the Soviet Union instead.

Kaunda worked to improve trade routes and relationships with other countries. He helped build the TAZARA Railway to connect Zambia with Tanzania, avoiding countries with unfair governments. During the Cold War, Kaunda supported efforts to remain neutral and worked closely with leaders from Yugoslavia and Romania. He also kept good relations with China, which helped with many projects in Zambia.

Fall from power

In 1990, there were big protests in the capital city. Kenneth Kaunda said there would be a vote later that year to decide if more political parties could be allowed. But he still wanted only one party to stay in charge, saying more parties would cause problems. Soon after, someone tried to take over the government, but it didn’t work.

Later, Kaunda changed his mind. He agreed to let the people vote on having more parties and set up an election for the next year, earlier than planned. In the election, another leader named Frederick Chiluba and his group won by a large margin. Kaunda lost the election and handed over power peacefully in November 1991. He was the second leader in Africa to do this after losing an election.

Post-presidency

After leaving office, Kenneth Kaunda often disagreed with the new government leaders. They tried to stop him from running for president again by changing the rules. Kaunda was even arrested and kept at home for a time, but later he was allowed to stay as a citizen of Zambia.

Kaunda decided to stop trying to be president in 1998 and began working to help others. He spoke out about important health issues, especially working to stop a sickness that spreads through unhealthy contact. Later, he lived in Boston for a few years to help share knowledge about African leaders.

Personal life and death

Main article: Death and state funeral of Kenneth Kaunda

Kenneth Kaunda married Betty Banda in 1946, and they had eight children together. Betty passed away in 2013 while visiting a daughter in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Kaunda loved writing music, especially songs about freedom for his country. One of his well-known songs was "Tiyende pamodzi ndi mtima umo," which means "Let's walk together with one heart."

In June 2021, Kaunda went to the hospital for treatment of an illness. He was later found to have a health problem called pneumonia. Sadly, he passed away on June 17, 2021, at the age of 97. He is remembered by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Kaunda believed his healthy lifestyle helped him live a long life. He followed a special lacto-vegetarian diet, eating only vegetables and avoiding meat, eggs, and chicken. He also did not drink alcohol and stopped drinking tea many years earlier.

After his passing, President Edgar Lungu announced that Zambia would honor him with 21 days of national mourning. His funeral events took place across the country, ending with a big ceremony at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Many other countries also held days of mourning to respect his memory.

Electoral history

Awards and honours

Kenneth Kaunda received many important awards and honours from Zambia and other countries. In Zambia, he was made Grand Commander of the Order of the Eagle of Zambia in 2003. His birthday, April 28, became a public holiday in 2021 to honour his work. In 2011, Lusaka International Airport was renamed after him.

He also received honours from Angola, Cuba, Jamaica, Lesotho, Mozambique, Portugal, South Africa, and Yugoslavia. These included orders and awards for his contributions to Africa and international relations. Kaunda was also given an honorary degree from Fordham University and received the Ubuntu Award in 2007.

Publications

Kenneth Kaunda wrote many books about his life and ideas. Some of his well-known works include Zambia Shall Be Free: An Autobiography and Zambia, Independence and Beyond: The Speeches of Kenneth Kaunda. He also shared his thoughts on peace and understanding in books like A Humanist in Africa and The Riddle of Violence.