Former minster, Lusambo, loses luxurious Chamba Valley home, ordered to pay K5.2 million to govt

Former Lusaka Province Minister m, Bowman Lusambo, has suffered a major legal and financial setback after the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court ordered the forfeiture of his luxury Chamba Valley residence—an opulent property he once boasted had its own tarmac driveway and wild animals roaming the grounds.

The house, long a symbol of his political swagger, now belongs to the State following a ruling confirming its forfeiture.

His financial liabilities grew further after Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili ordered him to pay the State K5.2 million, representing the value of six incomplete flats he was found to have unlawfully possessed.

The structures, built on land belonging to Mukuka Munkonge, were declared tainted property.

Despite being granted K500,000 bail on his own recognizance, with a requirement to provide three Lusaka-based sureties of equal value, Lusambo will not regain temporary freedom as he is already serving a separate four-year sentence for corruption.

The court’s latest ruling therefore adds a civil and financial layer to his ongoing criminal penalties.

Magistrate Chibwili also stressed that although the Chamba Valley property—valued at over K17 million—has been forfeited to the State, it cannot yet be sold. Lusambo has launched proceedings in the High Court challenging the forfeiture, and those processes must be concluded before the State can proceed with disposal.

The court’s order for Lusambo to settle the K5.2 million will be treated as a debt to the State, affirming that possession of the incomplete flats constituted an offence even if the land itself was not tainted.

With the sentences on the two counts set to run concurrently from August 25, 2025, Lusambo’s battle now shifts to the High Court and his ability to overturn the forfeiture.

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