Giants killer - 33-year-old Tricenarian Mukwavi Changala Sichula ready to empower Senga Hill

By Hellen Bwalya and Derrick Sinjela 

A No retreat no surrender approach finally earns 33-year-old Tricenarian Mukwavi Changala Sichula an Independent Parliamentary Senga Hill seat.

A Tricenarian is anyone between 30 and 39 years, with Mr. Sichula,  a Zambian politician, project manager, international economics and trade specialist, research analyst, farmer, and public speaker, having initially unsuccessfully contested the seat five years ago as a 28- year-old vicenarian (ages 20–29).

A 'never give up' attitude has made Sichula become the 13th but 1st Independent MP for Senga Hill, a constituency of the National Assembly of Zambia (NAZ) covering Nendo and Senga Hill towns in Senga Hill District of the Northern Province, home to the Mambwe and Lungu speaking people of Zambia. 

Created in 1973 , Ms. Monica Chintu of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) became the first MP, followed by Telesphore Nsokolo of UNIP in1978 with Hynkson Bowa of UNIP becoming the 3rd MP in 1983, only to be succeeded in 1988 by Mr. Frederick Simpasa as UNIP's 4th and last Senga Hill MP.

On the return to plural politics, in 1991 and 1996, Mathias Mpande became 5th and 6th Senga Hill MP on the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) ticket.

From 2001 till 2016,   Kapembwa Simbao initiative served three terms (2001, 2006 and 2011) on the MMD ticket and two terms

2015 (by-election) and 2016 on the Patriotic Front (PF) ticket.

In 2021, Henry Sikazwe of the United Party for National Development (UPND) became 12th MP for Senga Hill, with 

2026 going to Sichula (9,661 votes) as an  Independent MP, who beat Mulenga Safeli (UPND) who came second with 6,265 votes as compiled by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

As a NAZ backbencher,  Sichula will focus on improving local infrastructure, expanding access to clean water and education, supporting farmers, and youth empowerment through sports as a parliamentary agenda.

From the outset, acknowledging Senior Chief Nsokolo (Cornelius Sichula Nsokolo), Chief Mpande (His Royal Highness Chief Alex Mpande Mpande) and Chief Nondo, Sichula expressed gratitude to Senga Hill electorate on an onerous leadership privilege.

Alluding to Senga Hill's four (4) wards; Chela Ward (Central),  Chimbili Ward (North-West), 

Luombe Ward (South-West) and Mwiluzi Ward (South-East), Sichula  congratulated President Dr. Hakainde Sammy Hichilema on his (HH's) re-election and prodded Vice President Reverend Dr. Witner Kapembwa Mutale-Nalumango that her vow seeking declaration of Senga Hill as a district remained elusive.

Addressing first female Speaker of the National Assembly, State Counsel (SC) Ms. Nelly Butete Kashumba Mutti, MukSichula regretted that out of 32 health centres only 16, are on either solar or hydropower generated electricity.

Sichula says the area has no single tarred road, skills centre,  no hospital and infrastructure is lacking.

Agriculture wise, despite having 52, 000 farmers listed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Sichula lamented that only 11, 500 have received farming inputs in the 2026-2027 farming seasons.

Sichula says it is difficult to achieve targets set in the Grow Zambia Agenda (GZA) as the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, do not have a vehicle each.

Turning to Minister of Health (MoH) Professor Roma Chilengi, Sichula says despite having 281 health workers, out of 647 staff establishment.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF ZAMBIA

Parliament Buildings

P.O Box 31299

Lusaka

www.parliament.gov.zm

MAIDEN SPEECH FOR MR SICHULA MUKWAVI C, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SENGA HILL CONSTITUENCY

RESEARCH DEPARTMENT              

OCTOBER, 2026  

Madam Speaker,

I stand before this August House for the first time, deeply humbled and sincerely grateful to the 126,308 people of Senga Hill for entrusting me with the responsibility of representing their voices, aspirations and struggles in this House.

I bring warm greetings from all the traditional leadership of Senga Hill in particular kuku Senior Chief Nsokolo and ya TATA YA Mpande and all their Royal Highnesses that preside over Senga Hill.

From Mwiluzi ward, to Chozi, Chimbili, to Chela, Chinyika, to Mukololo, to Lapisha, to Luombe, and Ipembe and to Malamba it is an honour to wield power on your behalf in the National Assembly of Zambia.

Madam Speaker,

I cannot stand before this House without honouring the pillars who carried us through this journey:

     i.         the churches: You prayed without ceasing, and preached peace during a tense season. You kept us grounded in love, faith and unity;

    ii.         our Headmen and Headwomen: You mobilised our people, protected our message, and stood firm as the true custodians of our land and traditions. This victory belongs to you;

  iii.        our mothers and sisters: You gave us shelter and food. You opened your homes to us when we had nowhere to sleep, you cooked for us and fed the struggle, you our sustained our mission, and you carried us to victory. This victory is yours, too; and

  iv.        our youth, the young men and women who stood up to defend our call to challenge the status quo to you I owe my deepest gratitude.

Madam Speaker,

We congratulate the Republican President, and Her Honour the Vice President on their re- election.

Further, we extend our congratulations to you, Madam Speaker, together with the 1^st and the 2^nd Deputy Speakers on your election, and congratulations to all Honourable Members of Parliament.

Additionally, Madam Speaker, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to my family for all the prayers and support, in particular Ya Nachula na ya Sichula. Ya tata ya David Mukwavi, you would have been proud to see me representing the people of Senga Hill. You believed in me when it was not fashionable to do so, and you stood by my cause when it mattered most. Sadly, death took you before voting day, but your belief and support will never be forgotten. Even in death, you are loved, remembered and cherished.  Mayo Mpoli, I have not found the right words yet.

Further, I wish to thank my campaign team led by the capable Counsel Jameson Kachimwa, Killian Viombelo Sichalwe, Crisfold Sitima, Robert Katyeka Sikaona, Emmanuel Sinkala, Josphat Sikanyika, and all our dedicated patriots who led us to victory, to you I owe my greatest gratitude. to my predecessors Honourable Kapembwa Simbao and Honourable Henry Sikazwe for your service in our land and I shall build on the foundation you have laid.

Madam Speaker, my people did not send me here to praise myself. They sent me with one instruction: To put their needs first!

Health

Senga Hill has 32 health facilities but only 281 health workers against an establishment of 647, while 16 facilities have no electricity, forcing nurses to deliver babies by torchlight even in 2026. Our District Hospital is merely a health Centre in a new name, operating on land too small for expansion and overwhelmed by deplorable conditions. Through you, Madam Speaker, I appeal to Government to construct a new District Hospital, provide solar power to the 16 unelectrified clinics, supply motorbikes for outreach services, and fill the vacant positions.

Agriculture

Madam Speaker, Senga Hill was named the Most Productive District in Northern Province in 2025, producing 71,131 metric tonnes of maize and 48,004 metric tonnes of beans. However, only 18 of our 31 agricultural camps are staffed, and we receive just 11,500 input packs against over 52,000 eligible farmers. With El Niño threatening other parts of the country, I appeal to Government to consider reallocating additional inputs to Senga Hill to help compensate for losses elsewhere. Our Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock departments also lack vehicles, armyworm affected more than half our households last season, and only 150 of 2,000 hectares suitable for irrigation are irrigated. Further, despite our agricultural potential, Senga Hill has no FRA office, forcing farmers to travel up to 244 kilometres to Kasama, or 80 kilometres to Mbala, merely to correct a spelling error in the database.

Water

Madam Speaker, Senga Hill has no piped water system, forcing our mothers to walk kilometers in search of unsafe water and our girls to miss school, particularly in Chimbili, Chinyika, Luombe and Chozi. Our clinics also lack running water for safe deliveries, despite the ever-flowing Chozi River. I commend Senga Hill Town Council for commencing water reticulation in three wards, but the project must cover the entire Constituency. I therefore appeal for solar-powered boreholes and clean, safe piped water in every school and clinic, because without water, there can be no health, no agriculture and no Grow Zambia.

Roads

Madam Speaker, apart from the main tarred road passing through Senga Hill to Nakonde, the Constituency has no other tarred roads or township roads. During the rainy season, Chela Ward is cut off from Chozi and Ipembe Ward from Chimbili, delaying fertiliser deliveries and causing maize production losses. These impassable roads also prevent sick mothers from accessing Government health services at various health posts.

Administration, Education and Youth

Madam Speaker, ten years after attaining district status, Senga Hill still lacks a District Administration block, while Manje Boarding School remains incomplete after a decade. We commend Government for prioritising education and appeal for a skills training centre, as the Constituency has neither a college nor a skills training centre. We also call for a Youth Agro-Enterprise Fund to support young people in agricultural businesses. Furthermore, we urge Government to disburse CDF funds expeditiously, as some students are stranded at college without food and risk missing examinations because their fees remain unpaid.

Conclusion

The President has pledged to improve living standards in his second term. This must be felt not in Lusaka alone, but in Senga Hill, through safe childbirth, clean water and skills training that gives our young people opportunities at home.

Give us a new District Hospital, and we will build a healthier workforce; give us passable roads, and we will work towards producing 200,000 metric tonnes of maize; give us clean water, and our children will stay in school; give us a skills college, and we will produce the skilled workforce Zambia needs under the Grow Zambia Agenda.

Madam Speaker, ten years after Senga Hill became a district, we still lack a District Administration block, township roads, piped water and a college. Our people cannot wait another ten years for these basic services. We are not asking for special treatment, but our fair share of development. Put our needs first, and we will turn investment into productivity and prosperity for Zambia. Put Senga Hill first, and we will put Zambia first.

MADAM SPEAKER, I THANK YOU!

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