Armed men pick up Katele Kalumba from Chienge home, wife says

CHIENGE – Former Finance Minister Dr Katele Kalumba has allegedly been picked up from his home in Chienge by armed men and taken into custody, according to his wife, Lumba Kalumba. Lumba said Dr Kalumba was taken first to Chienge Police Station before the people who picked him up later drove him towards Mansa. She […]

CHIENGE – Former Finance Minister Dr Katele Kalumba has allegedly been picked up from his home in Chienge by armed men and taken into custody, according to his wife, Lumba Kalumba.

Lumba said Dr Kalumba was taken first to Chienge Police Station before the people who picked him up later drove him towards Mansa.

She further alleged that the armed men would not allow him access to his medication despite his known medical condition.

“My husband was indeed picked up by a group of soldiers from our Chienge residence. He is on his way to Mansa as I type. Charge unknown,” she wrote dismissing those who said the story was fake. “These ignoramuses who say it is fake will soon retract their statement just as others did before.”

Zambian Eye has not independently established the identity of the officers involved or the reason for Dr Kalumba’s reported detention.

The reported development comes less than 24 hours after Dr Kalumba issued a direct appeal to President Hakainde Hichilema, urging him to release Brian Mundubile, Makebi Zulu, Xavier Franklin Chungu and other people he described as being detained for political or politically related matters.

Kalumba’s early morning warning

Before his reported pickup, Dr Kalumba had written a lengthy message addressed to Zambia’s intelligence chief, Director General of the Zambia Intelligence Service Friday Nyambe.

In the message, Kalumba said armed men carrying guns and plain-clothes operatives had arrived at his lodge at about 04:00 looking for him.

According to his account, the men questioned people at the lodge and said they had heard that he was unwell and wanted to check on him.

Kalumba questioned why such a welfare concern would require armed men to arrive at a lodge at four o’clock in the morning.

He also referred to an ambulance that he said had arrived at the lodge the previous day before leaving shortly afterwards, although he said he could not establish whether the two incidents were connected.

“I cannot establish whether the two incidents were connected, and I do not want to speculate,” Kalumba wrote.

The account has not been independently confirmed by Zambian Eye.

‘Please slow this down’

In his message to Nyambe, Kalumba appealed for restraint and said he had been trying to advocate reconciliation, constitutional order and dialogue.

He said he had not been mobilising people against the State or calling for violence, but had instead been urging State institutions to operate within the Constitution and the law.

Kalumba also raised the cases of former intelligence chief Xavier Chungu and Member of Parliament Munthali, referring to what he described as serious concerns over the treatment and safety of citizens and elected representatives.

He ended his message by directly appealing to Nyambe to intervene.

“Please, let us talk,” Kalumba wrote.

A history of serious health complications

The reported detention has particular significance because Dr Kalumba has a documented history of serious health problems.

In August 2023, Zambia Correctional Service confirmed that Kalumba had been released from custody on medical grounds after serving part of a five-year sentence.

The Service said he had been frequently admitted to University Teaching Hospital because of multiple health complications, including heart failure and a spinal injury.

His wife had previously appealed for his release on health grounds, saying his condition made continued imprisonment particularly dangerous.

That history is now central to his wife’s allegation that he was not allowed access to his medication when he was picked up.

Kalumba has recently become increasingly vocal

The reported pickup comes against the background of increasingly outspoken interventions by the former minister on Zambia’s post-election political situation.

Kalumba has repeatedly questioned the detention of former ZSIS Director-General Xavier Chungu and called for due process in his case. Zambian Eye previously reported his concerns over Chungu’s detention.

In August, Kalumba also publicly said he had received information that there was a plan to arrest him and charge him with treason.

At the time, however, the UPND said it was unaware of such a plan, while police also said they had no knowledge of a scheme to arrest him.

Kalumba has since continued speaking publicly about the post-election situation and the detention of opposition figures.

What we know — and what remains unanswered

At this stage, several questions remain open.

Who picked up Dr Kalumba?

Under what authority was he taken into custody?

What allegations, if any, have been made against him?

Was he formally arrested?

Why was he reportedly taken from Chienge to Mansa?

And, given his documented medical history, what arrangements have been made for his medication and medical care?

Zambian Eye is seeking confirmation from the Zambia Police Service, Zambia Army and other relevant authorities regarding the reported detention.

For now, the account remains an allegation by his wife and Dr Kalumba’s own account of the events preceding his reported pickup.

But the timing is significant.

A day after calling on the President to release detained political figures, and after warning the intelligence chief against what he described as an escalation, the veteran politician is now reportedly in custody himself.

Zambian Eye will update this story as official information becomes available.