{"id":"kenneth-kaunda","type":"person","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/kenneth-kaunda","language":"en","name":"Kenneth Kaunda","name_en":"Kenneth Kaunda","name_ne":null,"description":"First president of Zambia (1924–2021)","headline":"First president of Zambia (1924–2021)","also_known_as":[],"summary":"Kenneth Kaunda, also known as KK, was a Zambian politician who served as the first president of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He was at the forefront of the campaign for independence from the British Empire, though he would subsequently establish himself as a dictator and oversee Zambia's economic collapse once this was achieved. Dissatisfied with Harry Nkumbula's leadership of the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress, he broke away and founded the Zambian African National Congress, later becoming the head of the socialist United National Independence Party (UNIP).","summary_more":[],"facts":[{"key":"born","label":"Born","values":[{"text":"28 April 1924","date":"1924-04-28"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P569"}},{"key":"birthplace","label":"Place of birth","values":[{"text":"Chinsali","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1074444"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P19"}},{"key":"died","label":"Died","values":[{"text":"17 June 2021","date":"2021-06-17"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P570"}},{"key":"deathplace","label":"Place of death","values":[{"text":"Lusaka","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3881"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P20"}},{"key":"citizenship","label":"Citizenship","values":[{"text":"Zambia","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q953"},{"text":"United Kingdom","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q145","end":"1964"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P27"}},{"key":"occupation","label":"Occupation","values":[{"text":"politician","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82955"},{"text":"teacher","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37226"},{"text":"freedom fighter","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30242234"},{"text":"head of government","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2285706"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P106"}},{"key":"party","label":"Political party","values":[{"text":"United National Independence Party","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1383387"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P102"}},{"key":"education","label":"Education","values":[{"text":"Munali Secondary School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6935605"},{"text":"Rusangu University","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7380634"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P69"}},{"key":"spouse","label":"Spouse","values":[{"text":"Betty Kaunda","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q542210"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P26"}},{"key":"positions","label":"Positions held","values":[{"text":"chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity (27 July 1987 – 25 May 1988)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19161632","start":"1987-07-27","end":"1988-05-25"},{"text":"Defence Minister (1973–1979)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q45396374","start":"1973-12","end":"1979"},{"text":"Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (8 September 1970 – 5 September 1973)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15647601","start":"1970-09-08","end":"1973-09-05"},{"text":"chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity (1 September 1970 – 21 June 1971)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19161632","start":"1970-09-01","end":"1971-06-21"},{"text":"President of Zambia (24 October 1964 – 2 November 1991)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18985034","start":"1964-10-24","end":"1991-11-02"},{"text":"Prime Minister of Zambia (22 January 1964 – 24 October 1964)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1850312","start":"1964-01-22","end":"1964-10-24"},{"text":"Defence Minister (1964–1970)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q45396374","start":"1964-01","end":"1970-01"},{"text":"Member of the National Assembly of Zambia","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18607856"},{"text":"president","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1255921"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P39"}},{"key":"awards","label":"Awards","values":[{"text":"Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3295156","date":"1970"},{"text":"Order of José Martí","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1991972","date":"1975"},{"text":"Order of Agostinho Neto","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16141090","date":"1992"},{"text":"Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20859490","date":"1975-05-28"},{"text":"Order of the Eagle of Zambia","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3885263","date":"2003"},{"text":"Order of Eduardo Mondlane, 1st class","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q118545254","date":"1983-09-07"},{"text":"Order of the Companions of O. R. Tambo","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q727815"},{"text":"Order of Prince Henry","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q93488"},{"text":"Order of the Yugoslav Star","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q747248"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480#P166"}}],"office":null,"sections":[],"cited":[],"cited_from":null,"videos":[],"last_reviewed":null,"organizations":[],"same_as":["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Kaunda","https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480"],"faq":[{"q":"When was Kenneth Kaunda born?","a":"Kenneth Kaunda was born on 28 April 1924 in Chinsali."},{"q":"What positions has Kenneth Kaunda held?","a":"Positions held by Kenneth Kaunda include: chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity (1987–1988); Defence Minister (1973–1979); Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (1970–1973); chairperson of the Organisation of African Unity (1970–1971); President of Zambia (1964–1991)."},{"q":"Where did Kenneth Kaunda study?","a":"Kenneth Kaunda was educated at Munali Secondary School, Rusangu University."}],"related":[{"name":"Hosni Mubarak","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/hosni-mubarak"},{"name":"Gamal Abdel Nasser","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/gamal-abdel-nasser"},{"name":"Seewoosagur Ramgoolam","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/seewoosagur-ramgoolam"},{"name":"Hassan II","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/hassan-ii"},{"name":"Siaka Stevens","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/siaka-stevens"},{"name":"Kwame Nkrumah","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/kwame-nkrumah"},{"name":"Malimba Masheke","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/malimba-masheke"},{"name":"Edgar Lungu","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/edgar-lungu"},{"name":"Mahmoud Ahmadinejad","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/mahmoud-ahmadinejad"},{"name":"Hassan Rouhani","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/hassan-rouhani"},{"name":"Mohamed Morsi","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/mohamed-morsi"},{"name":"Zail Singh","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/zail-singh"}],"places_in":[],"nearby":[],"image":{"url":"https://diginpl.com/kb-img/kenneth-kaunda-97234713cc.jpg","width":500,"height":622,"license":"Public domain","credit":"Unknown photographer","page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kenneth_David_Kaunda.jpg"},"sources":[{"label":"Wikipedia (English): Kenneth Kaunda","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Kaunda","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Wikidata item Q105480","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q105480","license":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},{"label":"Image: Kenneth David Kaunda.jpg by Unknown photographer (Public domain)","url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kenneth_David_Kaunda.jpg","license":null}],"license":{"text":"CC BY-SA 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/","facts":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},"attribution":"Text from the Wikipedia article Kenneth Kaunda, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Kenneth David Kaunda.jpg — Unknown photographer, Public domain.","cite":"\"Kenneth Kaunda\". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/kenneth-kaunda. Retrieved 10 November 2026.","date_modified":"2026-11-01T09:05:03Z","facts_checked":"2026-11-09","alternates":{"html":"https://diginpl.com/people/kenneth-kaunda","en":"https://diginpl.com/people/kenneth-kaunda","ne":"https://diginpl.com/people/kenneth-kaunda?lang=ne"}}