Nation To Observe 21-Day Mourning Period After Death Of KK

President Edgar Lungu has declared that Zambia will enter a 21-day period of mourning to honour the death of the country’s first president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, who passed away on Thursday afternoon in Lusaka.

During this period, all entertainment activities will be suspended with immediate effect and flags should be flown at half-mast. Political campaigns will also come to a halt, with UPND Alliance leader Hakainde Hichilema agreeing to “suspend all active mobilisation activities until further notice”. The Patriotic Front has not yet made any similar statement but is expected to follow suit. 

Dr Kaunda died in a military hospital at 14:30 yesterday afternoon, after being admitted for pneumonia treatment on Monday. He was 97 when he passed away. 

“It is with deep regret and sorrow that I announce to the nation and the international community the passing our our beloved founding father, icon, and global statesman Kenneth Kaunda, First President of Zambia,” President Lungu said in a statement shortly afterwards. 

UPND President Hakainde Hichilema joined in the messages of condolence, writing on Facebook: “We express our deepest condolences to the Kaunda family during their bereavement and pray for strength as they come to terms with this sad loss. Bashikulu KK will be sorely missed by all Zambians and the rest of the people on the African continent. Rest in peace gallant son of Africa”. 

HH was particularly close with the founding president, having been personally endorsed by KK for his first presidential election in 2006. 

President Lungu has not yet given details of KK’s funeral but has assured the public that it will be conducted with consideration towards Covid-19 guidelines, as prescribed by the Ministry of Health. 

Following KK’s death, messages of support for Zambia have poured in from across Africa and the world. 

The Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa said Kaunda’s contribution to the struggle against colonialism and apartheid would not be forgotten. 

Similarly, the US Embassy in Zambia issued a statement praising Kaunda as a “tireless advocate for the poor and marginalised”.