Office of the Public Protector - Zambia

04/09/2026

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐀 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐃𝐑. 𝐖.𝐊 𝐌𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐎.

The Office of the Public Protector congratulates President Hakainde Hichilema and Vice President Dr. W.K. Mutale Nalumango on their inauguration and assumption of office for a second term.

The Office commends the people of Zambia for the peaceful transition and looks forward to continued collaboration with the Government in strengthening good governance, accountability and transparency in the public service, while collectively fighting maladministration and promoting the protection of citizens’ rights.

May God Bless The Republic of Zambia.

31/08/2026

𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐙 𝐂𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐓 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐔𝐅𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐀𝐌𝐀

The Office of the Public Protector Zambia (OPPZ) Copperbelt Provincial Office in Ndola, in collaboration with the Kitwe District Land Alliance (KDL), has conducted a joint advocacy and awareness programme in Lufwanyama District to sensitize communities on government services and public accountability.

The programme brought together communities and several government institutions, including Lufwanyama Town Council, the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, and the Ministry of Education through the District Education Board Secretary’s Office.

The sensitization focused on the operations and services of government institutions, with emphasis on efficient service delivery, the effective running of schools and initiatives aimed at keeping the girl child in school.

The OPPZ also sensitized community members on its mandate and oversight role in promoting accountability, fairness and efficiency in the administration of public services.

The engagement provided an opportunity for community members to better understand the functions of government institutions and the mechanisms available to them when seeking public services or raising concerns about maladministration.

The programme highlights the importance of collaboration between the Office of the Public Protector and stakeholders in empowering communities with information on public services, their rights and mechanisms for addressing concerns arising from public administration.

27/08/2026

𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐙, 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐔𝐙𝐀 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆

The Office of the Public Protector has highlighted its oversight role in safeguarding the rights and interests of citizens, particularly vulnerable groups at risk of human trafficking.

The Office made the submission during a reflection meeting for Catholic religious sisters, priests and collaborators organised by Talitha K*m Zambia (TAKUZA) on Thursday, 27th August 2026, at the Christian Brothers Retreat Centre in Lusaka.

The meeting focused on human trafficking and safe migration, with participants exploring strategies to strengthen the capacity of Catholic religious sisters and their collaborators to combat human trafficking across the 11 dioceses of Zambia.

Presenting on the mandate and services of the Office of the Public Protector, the Office highlighted its role in promoting fair and accountable public administration and ensuring that citizens have access to just and fair public services.

The Office further explained its oversight role over public institutions mandated to protect children and other vulnerable citizens from human trafficking, including the Zambia Police Service, Immigration Department, Anti-Human Trafficking Department and Department of Social Welfare.

The Office noted that this oversight is undertaken through inspections of institutions such as child safe and transit centres, hospitals, schools, detention facilities and border areas, to promote safety, protection and awareness of administrative rights.

The engagement also provided an opportunity for the Office to sensitise participants on mechanisms available to members of the public for addressing concerns arising from maladministration and accessing appropriate redress.

The Office of the Public Protector values partnerships with stakeholders such as TAKUZA and the Catholic Church in promoting human rights, good governance, public accountability and the protection of accountability and the protection of vulnerable communities.

Such collaborations are important in strengthening public awareness and empowering communities to identify and report concerns that may intersect with human trafficking, while ensuring that affected persons are guided towards appropriate institutions and redress mechanisms.

26/08/2026

𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐙, 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐀 𝐓𝐎 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐔 𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

The Office of the Public Protector and the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA) have agreed to explore the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration on water governance, public accountability and service delivery.

The agreement was reached during a courtesy call by WARMA Director General, Ms. Misozi Ngulube, on the Public Protector, Mrs. Caroline Sokoni, at the Office of the Public Protector in Lusaka on Wednesday, 26th August 2026.

The proposed MoU is expected to provide a structured framework for cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including information sharing, referrals, public awareness, water-resource governance and issues affecting the welfare of citizens.

Mrs. Sokoni commended WARMA for its role in the conservation and protection of Zambia’s water resources and water-related environment, noting that water is critical to national development and requires effective and sustainable management.

She further noted that WARMA is a key stakeholder in the fight against maladministration, particularly in promoting good administrative practices, accountability and fairness in the governance of water resources.

The Public Protector also called on WARMA to strengthen public education and sensitization on the importance of conserving and protecting water resources, noting that citizens have an important role to play in safeguarding the country’s water resources for present and future generations.

Mrs. Sokoni said closer collaboration between the two institutions was particularly important in responding to water-related disasters and other issues affecting communities.

Echoing the call for closer collaboration, the WARMA Director General, Ms. Misozi Ngulube, said engagements with institutions such as the Office of the Public Protector are important in strengthening accountability and the effectiveness of public institutions.

She said WARMA is strengthening its monitoring, data management, forecasting and early-warning systems to address growing threats to Zambia’s water resources, including illegal abstraction, pollution, floods and droughts.

Ms. Ngulube stated that the two institutions should strengthen information sharing, referrals and public awareness on water-resource matters affecting public administration and citizens.

“We look forward to strengthening our relationship and improving our service to the public. We are optimistic that by providing the necessary technical information and explaining our position, we will complement the work of your good office,” Ms. Ngulube said.

The engagement also highlighted the need for stronger coordination in land-use and water-resource governance, climate resilience, public awareness and stakeholder engagement.

The proposed collaboration will respect the respective statutory mandates of the two institutions while supporting their shared goal of improving public service delivery, strengthening water governance and ensuring that citizens receive appropriate responses to water-related.

23/08/2026

𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬 𝗠𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗛𝗔𝗞𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗗𝗘 𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗔 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪.𝗞. 𝗠𝗨𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗨𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗢.

22/07/2026

22/07/2026

𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐙𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐈𝐀 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐊, 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐀.

The Office of the Public Protector Zambia, led by the Ombudsman, Mrs. Caroline C. Z. Sokoni, has joined other Ombudsman institutions from across the African continent in Windhoek, Namibia, to participate in the African Ombudsman Research Centre (AORC)'s flagship continental training programme.

The training is being held under the theme, "𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙘 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜: 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙣𝙩𝙞-𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙪𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢." The programme is hosted by the Office of the Ombudsman of Namibia in collaboration with the African Ombudsman and Mediators Association (AOMA), with support from the African Regional Fund (ARF) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of South Africa.

The three (3) day programme has brought together Ombudsman institutions, investigators and governance experts from across Africa to strengthen investigative capacity, enhance digital case management, and promote collaboration in advancing accountability, good governance and the protection of citizens' rights.

The training is of significant importance to the Office of the Public Protector as it will enhance the institution's capacity to conduct forensic investigations, leverage digital technologies in case management, and adopt emerging best practices in complaint handling and anti-corruption investigations. It also provides an opportunity for the Office to exchange knowledge and experiences with counterpart institutions, thereby strengthening its ability to effectively address maladministration, protect citizens' rights and promote good governance in Zambia.

The training is expected to equip participants with practical skills and innovative approaches that will contribute to improving investigative efficiency, institutional effectiveness and public service delivery across the continent.

17/07/2026

15/07/2026

𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐂𝐇 𝐁𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑, 𝐌𝐑𝐒. 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐂. 𝐙. 𝐒𝐎𝐊𝐎𝐍𝐈, 𝐃𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐑, 𝐌𝐑. 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐍𝐘𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐄.