Chilando Chitangala : Mayor of Lusaka & climate change champion!
Elected mayor of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, in 2021, Chilando Chitangala has made the fight against climate change one of her key priorities. She is actively involved in this cause both within her community and on an international scale.
During October 2025, she acted on three main issues. The mayor urged Lusaka residents to take climate action seriously, promoted the Early Childhood Development and celebrated Zambia’s 61st anniversary of independence.
On 17 October 2025, Chilando Chitangala called on Lusaka residents to take personal responsibility for environmental protection as part of a wider push for a clean, healthy, and green city. Speaking when she launched the “Keep UNZA Clean campaign” at the University of Zambia, Ms Chitangala linked the initiative to her broader Clean and Green Lusaka vision.
She urged residents and the student population to extend the spirit of the campaign into homes, schools and communities across the city. “This is not just about cleaning up, it’s a call to action. Climate action begins with small but consistent efforts that everyone can take,” said the Mayor. And in a spirit of togetherness, Ms. Chitangala joined students in collecting waste, reinforcing her message that environmental leadership must be both visible and shared.
On 28 October 2025, the Mayor of Lusaka, officially opened a 5-day workshop to advance and strengthen the rollout of Early Childhood Development (ECD) services in Chongwe across four pillars: health facilities, parental coaching, childcare, and early childhood education centres. The Mayor emphasized that ECD is not the sole responsibility of one institution but rather a collective effort requiring strong local government leadership and convergence of health, education, water and sanitation, nutrition, and social protection services. By integrating ECD into community development agendas, the Lusaka City Council and Chongwe Municipal Council aim to create a supportive ecosystem for young children to thrive. Key initiatives include strengthening preschools, supporting parental education, improving child-friendly infrastructure, and fostering collaboration between community-based organizations, international organizations, and line ministries.
“These efforts are designed to promote equitable, resilient, and prosperous communities. Investing in ECD means investing in the future of Lusaka and Chongwe, focusing on nurturing children who will grow into healthy, capable, and responsible citizens. This platform allows stakeholders to share experiences, deepen collaboration, and reaffirm their commitment to responsive and inclusive ECD,” said the Mayor.
On 24 October 2025, the mayor published a message on the occasion of the 61 years of Zambia’s Independence. “Today marks 61 years since Independence and it is an opportunity for each one of us to reflect on where we are coming from, where we are, and where we hope to be. It is also a good time to ask ourselves how each one of us has done in meeting our civic responsibilities as citizens of the city. Today, I am particularly concerned about such responsibilities as: • Patriotism, which entails that we actively participate and promote the city’s development and good image. • Ensuring unity and living in peace with others regardless of differences of opinion, political leanings or, indeed, any other differences we may have. • Being well informed about current affairs in our respective communities and participating in dialogue to help strengthen democratic governance. • Being courageous enough to speak out against wrong doing. Wishing you peace and unity, today and beyond. I urge you to endeavor to meet your side of the bargain as citizens of the city of Lusaka. Together, we can build the Lusaka we want. Register to Vote. Your Vote is your Voice”.
Earlier on 1 October 2025, the mayor published an editorial for ICLEI, advocating for female leadership and much more! “ Becoming the first elected woman Mayor of Lusaka has been both a profound privilege and a consistent challenge. My personal journey has illuminated the deep-seated barriers that persist against women in leadership. Across Zambia and much of Africa, female candidates often face cultural resistance and unequal access to resources, while their male colleagues receive more immediate support. If we genuinely seek equitable and sustainable development, we must move beyond rhetorical commitment and take deliberate, purposeful action. Instituting laws and policies that require stronger gender representation, and ensuring these are championed by active male allies, is not optional; it is essential.” Chilando Chitangala, Mayor of Lusaka, Zambia. Read more here.
BIO EXPRESS
Ms Chilando Chitangala is the Mayor of the city of Lusaka and Vice-Chairperson of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoMSSA) Regional Mayors Forum (RMF). She oversees planning and decision-making at city level and is passionate about improving data collection and management for planning and decision-making, gender and social inclusion, climate change and environmental protection, strategic and integrated planning, slum upgrading, and empowerment of marginalised groups. In her position as CoMSSA RMF Vice-Chairperson she acts as an ambassador for the initiative and is responsible for representing and elevating the voices of 300+ cities in project coordination and planning, and for mobilising other mayors to access climate finance and energy access.
She was part of the Bloomberg Harvard Leadership class of 2022-2023. Mayor Chitangala started her political career as a councillor, held the position of Deputy Mayor, and is now the first female to be elected Mayor. She is an inspirational civic leader and mentor for women and girls taking up leadership and decision-making positions at city, national and international levels.