Arnold Kaluba elected new LAZ President
Arnold Kaluba (left) defeated Matildah Kaoma (right).
By Staff Writer
The Law Association of Zambia has elected a new president at its Annual General Meeting in Livingstone, concluding a vote that drew close attention from within the legal profession and beyond.
Arnold Kaluba defeated Matildah Kaoma to succeed Lungisani Zulu, who did not contest after serving two consecutive terms.
Zulu was first elected in July 2022, becoming the youngest person to hold the office since Zambia’s independence, and was re-elected in April, 2024.
The two candidates who contested the presidency were Matildah Kaoma and Arnold Kaluba. Kaoma, who served as Vice President under Zulu, has been on the LAZ Council for eight years.
Kaluba is a Rhodes Scholar and managing partner at Arnold Kaluba and Associates, with over a decade of lecturing experience at the University of Zambia and expertise spanning banking and finance, corporate advisory, tax, and litigation.
Ahead of the vote, the two candidates debated at LAZ House on Friday.
Kaluba centred his pitch on transparency, legislative reforms, and governance, while Kaoma emphasised continuity, institutional strengthening, and member welfare.
The election did not generate strong enthusiasm among all members. There were whispers within the Association that neither candidate represented a clearly compelling choice, a sentiment that points to deeper questions about leadership pipelines within the profession.
Kaoma herself acknowledged during the debate that politics seeping into the Association has created a perception that its credibility has diminished, noting that some senior lawyers have withdrawn from the Association as a result.
The timing of the transition is significant. Zambia is scheduled to hold general elections on August 13, 2026, and LAZ has historically played a visible role in governance, constitutionalism, and electoral oversight.
Whoever leads the Association over the next two years will do so under scrutiny, at a moment when the legal profession’s independence and credibility are being openly questioned from within its own ranks.
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