Mutumba Mainga

Mutumba Mainga Bull - -

Born	1938 Nalikolo, Mongu District, Zambia
Nationality	Zambian
Occupation	Historian, Academic, Politician
Years active
Known for	First Zambian woman to earn a PhD, first female Cabinet Minister
Notable work
Awards
Children

Mutumba Mainga Bull (1938 – 13 February 2026), commonly known as ‘’’Mutumba Mainga’’’, was a Zambian historian, academic and politician. She was a pioneering figure in Zambia’s educational and political history, recognised as the first Zambian woman to obtain a doctorate degree, the [[first Zambian]] woman to lecture at the University of Zambia, and the first woman to serve as a full Cabinet Minister in the Zambian government.

Early life and education

Mutumba Mainga was born in 1938 in Nalikolo Village, Mongu District, in what is now Western Province, Zambia. She was the daughter of the Induna (chief) of the Lozi people, part of Zambia’s traditional leadership structures.

She attended several mission schools, including Sefula, Senanga, Mabumbu and Chipembi Mission Schools, as well as Goromonzi Government School. Mainga went on to study at the University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland before earning a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of London in 1963, making her one of the earliest Zambian women to attain a degree abroad. In 1969 she completed her PhD in History at the University of London, becoming the first Zambian woman to earn that qualification. She also conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Cambridge.

Academic career

After completing her doctorate, Mainga lectured in history at the University of Zambia from 1969 to 1973, making her the first Zambian woman to lecture at the country’s premier university. During her academic career she continued to publish research on Zambian and Lozi history and served in research leadership roles in later years, including as Senior Research Fellow and programme coordinator in governance and social research at the University’s Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Political career

Member of Parliament

In 1973, Mainga transitioned from academia to politics. She was elected as the Member of Parliament for Nalolo Constituency in Western Province, becoming one of the first women to serve in Zambia’s National Assembly. She served in Parliament until 1983.

Cabinet Minister

During her tenure, Mainga broke further barriers by becoming Zambia’s first female Cabinet Minister. She held multiple ministerial portfolios in the United National Independence Party (UNIP) government under President Kenneth Kaunda, including:

• Minister of Health
• Minister of Commerce
• Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Services
• Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
• Minister of State for the Civil Service

Her appointments marked historic firsts in women’s political leadership in Zambia and set a precedent for future female politicians.

Later academic and research roles

After retiring from active politics in 1991, Mainga returned to the academic sphere. In 1996 she rejoined the University of Zambia as a Senior Research Fellow and later served as Director of the University’s Institute of Economic and Social Research from 2005 to 2008. She continued to contribute to research on governance, culture and history for many years.

Her publications include ‘’’Bulozi under the Luyana Kings: Political Evolution and State Formation in Pre-colonial Zambia’’’ and other influential works on Zambian history.

Death and state funeral

Mutumba Mainga Bull died on 13 February 2026 in Lusaka at the age of 88 after an illness, according to official government announcements. She was widely mourned as a trailblazer for women in academia, politics and public service in Zambia.

In recognition of her significant contributions to the nation, President Hakainde Hichilema accorded her an official state funeral. A national day of mourning was declared for 19 February 2026, during which flags flew at half-mast and entertainment programming was suspended. Her funeral service was held at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka, and she was laid to rest at Leopards Hill Memorial Park.

Legacy

Mutumba Mainga Bull is widely regarded as a **trailblazer for women’s leadership** in Zambia. As the first Zambian woman to earn a PhD, to lecture at the University of Zambia, to be elected to Parliament, and to serve in the Cabinet, she opened doors for future generations of women in public life. Civil society organisations, including the Non-Governmental Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC), have praised her legacy in advancing women’s rights, leadership and gender equality.

Selected works

• Bulozi under the Luyana Kings: Political Evolution and State Formation in Pre-colonial Zambia (Longmans, 1973)
• The Barotseland Agreement 1964 in Historical Perspective (1996)
• Gender dimensions of multiparty politics: Elections 2001 in Zambia (2002)
• Reserved Area: Barotseland of the 1964 Agreement, Zambia Social Science Journal, Vol. 5, No. 1 (2014)
• A History of Lozi Religion to the end of the Nineteenth Century, in Terence O. Ranger & Isaria N. Kimambo (eds.)
• The Historical Study of African Religion (University of California Press, 1972)

See also

• Politics of Zambia
• United National Independence Party
• List of first women cabinet ministers
• Lozi people
• Barotseland