Police Confirm Mutotwe Kafwaya Was Shot Dead During Kabulonga Operation

Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba has confirmed that Tonse Alliance member Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot dead during a joint intelligence-led operation in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area last Friday, a day after the 2026 General Election. The confirmation comes five days after…

Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba has confirmed that Tonse Alliance member Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot dead during a joint intelligence-led operation in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area last Friday, a day after the 2026 General Election.

The confirmation comes five days after questions emerged on social media over Mr. Kafwaya’s whereabouts, with his wife publicly appealing to authorities to disclose his location.

In a statement, Mr. Musamba said the operation was conducted by a joint task force comprising members of the Central Joint Operations Committee—CJOC—including the Drug Enforcement Commission.

He said the operation was conducted around 19:30 hours at a named premises in Kabulonga following intelligence gathered after the recovery of 7.3 million kwacha in a separate task force operation in Lusaka.

According to Mr. Musamba, the intelligence concerned activities by individuals considered to be of national interest and suspected of posing a threat to national security.

He said defence and security wings had been monitoring the activities since November 2023.

Mr. Musamba said when the joint task force arrived at the premises, officers were met with gunfire and resistance from unknown individuals, prompting them to return fire.

He said one unidentified male was fatally wounded during the exchange and was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Mr. Musamba said following social media reports concerning a missing person, efforts were made to establish whether the description of the deceased matched that of Mr. Kafwaya.

He said family members were subsequently called and positively identified the deceased as Mr. Kafwaya.

The Police Chief further disclosed that 11 people were apprehended at the premises and are being held in connection with alleged offences relating to treason and any other offences that may be established during investigations.

Among those apprehended are three former commandos with specialised military training and two retired police officers.

Mr. Musamba said the former commandos had specialised training in marksmanship, weapons handling, intelligence gathering and commando tactics, while one of the retired police officers previously served with the Flying Squad, commonly known as C5.

The joint task force also recovered several firearms and other items from the premises, including five AK-47 rifles, 60 rounds of ammunition, a Zastava pistol, military-version automatic Uzi weapons, a bulletproof vest, a commando dagger and firearm maintenance equipment.

Other items recovered include military-grade binoculars with night-vision capability, tactical gloves, walkie-talkies, taser-type devices and electronic equipment.

Mr. Musamba said the electronic devices, documents and other materials have been secured and will undergo forensic examination to establish their ownership, source, intended use and possible connection to the alleged offences.

He said investigations are ongoing and the 11 suspects will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

The Inspector General has urged members of the public to remain calm and avoid speculation or the circulation of unverified information concerning the operation and ongoing investigations.