Lusaka | May 27, 2026 – Some moments in the life of an institution arrive quietly, yet leave an indelible mark on its history.
Today at State House was one such moment for the National Prosecution Authority.
Before President Hakainde Hichilema, five distinguished legal practitioners, each shaped by years of prosecutorial service and an enduring commitment to the administration of justice, took their oath as Judges of the High Court of Zambia.
From the robing ceremony to the administration of the Oath of Allegiance and the Judicial Oath, the occasion carried a quiet but powerful symbolism that legal officers who once stood before the courts on behalf of the people now ascend to the Bench itself, entrusted with the constitutional duty of dispensing justice impartially, without fear or favour.
The ceremony was attended by members of the Judiciary, senior government officials and the legal fraternity, alongside families of the newly sworn-in judges who watched with visible pride as years of public service culminated in the highest constitutional declaration of their professional journeys.
The National Prosecution Authority was represented by the learned Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Gilbert A. Phiri, SC, Chief Administrator Ms. Cassandra Soko, and Chief State Advocate Mrs. Chali Rachel Mbewe-Hambayi, reflecting the institutional weight behind the moment and the continuity of leadership within the Authority.
Each of the newly sworn-in judges leaves behind a distinguished legacy within the National Prosecution Authority.
• Judge Nkumbiza Thelma Mumba former Chief State Advocate. She led the Authority’s prosecutorial team. She shaped policy. She mentored an entire generation of young prosecutors. Her elevation to the bench was widely anticipated, and widely celebrated.
• Judge Chipola James Bako – former Deputy Chief State Advocate in charge of Lusaka Province. He ran one of the busiest prosecutorial jurisdictions in the country. He was known for his calm demeanour and razor-sharp legal mind.
• Judge Sekelebaka Muwamba – former Deputy Chief State Advocate for North-Western Province. She spent years prosecuting some of the most complex criminal cases in that region, often with few resources and long distances to cover. She never complained. She just got the job done.
• Judge Angelica Keneddy-Mwanza served as Principal State Advocate in the Appeals and Legal Services Department, and made law in some of the country’s most complex appellate matters before Zambia’s superior courts.
• Judge Sombo Kachaka served as Deputy Chief State Advocate for Luapula Province before retiring from the Authority in 2024.
Collectively, the five represent decades of legal service dedicated to the administration of criminal justice in Zambia.
For the National Prosecution Authority, the moment extends far beyond individual achievement.
It marks another defining chapter in the institution’s growing contribution to Zambia’s justice system, one that continues to see its prosecutors rise from courtrooms across the country into some of the highest offices of legal authority and public trust.
Throughout the ceremony, colleagues, members of the legal fraternity and invited guests witnessed not merely a constitutional procedure, but the culmination of years of legal advocacy, prosecutorial discipline and public service.
Their elevation also reflects the increasing recognition of prosecutorial experience as a strong foundation for judicial service, particularly in a modern justice system that demands courtroom depth, legal precision and command of complex litigation.
For the National Prosecution Authority, today was a moment of pride and transition.
An institution built on the pursuit of justice watched five of its own take oath to uphold it from an entirely different seat of responsibility.
And in that transition, the distance between prosecution and the Bench did not feel like departure, but continuity.