# Chibamba Kanyama

Chibamba Favour Kanyama (born 26 January 1965) is a Zambian media executive, economist and diplomat. Since March 2023, he has served as the Ambassador of Zambia to the United States of America. Prior to his appointment, Chibamba served as the founding CEO at Bridges Limited, a Zambian consultancy firm, since 2016. Since 2012, he served as Director General at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) until 2014. Subsequently, Chibamba was appointed as Communications Advisor at International Monetary Fund, based in Washington DC, U.S until 2016.

## Early life and education

Chibamba was born in Chikankata, in the Southern Province of Zambia. He attended Chikankata Mission school for his secondary education. He then studied at the University of Zambia from 1985 to 1989, where he received a BA in mass communication (with economics). Chibamba later received a MSc Development Finance from the University of Reading in 2001 on a Chevening Scholarship. Since 2023, he holds a PhD in Management from Texila American University in collaboration with Central University of Nicaragua (awarding university).

## Career

Chibamba began working at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) in 1989, he started as manager and he rose to the position of Executive Producer, he served in institution until 1996. Subsequently, he served as Director at CK Media Agency until 1998. In 1999, Chibamba joined Zambia Institute of Mass Communication (ZAMCOM), a Zambian government media training institution, until 2002 he was the broadcasting manager at the institution. In addition, between 1999 and 2007, Chibamba served as a consultant for the Nordic-SADC Journalism Centre, responsible for economic and business reporting trainings.
Since 2002, Chibamba consecutively held positions of director responsible for corporate affairs at Zambia State Insurance Corporation (ZSIC) until 2008, and at Zambian Breweries until 2012. In March 2012, Chibamba returned at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC), where he was appointed as Director General replacing Joe Chilaizya. He served until 2014, when he took up an appointment by the International Monetary Fund as communications advisor, based in Washington DC, U.S he served until 2016. Since 2016, Chibamba held a position of Managing Consultant at Bridges Limited, a Zambian consultancy firm specializing in leadership and coaching advisory, Business Management Advisory, Corporate Communications Services and Stakeholder Management Advisory services.

## Diplomatic mission

In 2011, he was appointed as a UNICEF's Ambassador for the ‘Brothers for Life Campaign’ focusing on youth behaviors related to alcohol and substance abuse, violence, sexual obstinance and health living. On 10th March, 2023, Chibamba was appointed as Zambia's 18th Ambassador to the United States of America by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. He is accredited on a non-residential basis to Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama, Chibamba took over from Lazarous Kapambwe who had served since January 2020.

## Other considerations

Chibamba was among three Zambians appointed Climate Change Ambassadors by the British Council in 2010. In 2008, Chibamba initiated "Creating the Future", the first ever business conference for teenagers in Zambia. An average 4,500 young people attended the two conferences. He mobilized over US$40,000 for each period from the business community and international donor organizations such as the European Union. The initiative has since been registered as a trust, named Teen Vision Trust Zambia.

## Controversies

In July 2018, Chibamba Twitted that the IMF was ‘withdrawing its resident representative to Zambia, Alfredo Baldini, something that had not happened except for two African countries and that a replacement would take a while.’ This generated a lot of condemnation by members of the ruling Patriotic Front (PF), who published articles on both social and mainstream media, claiming Chibamba had lied. The President of the Economic Association of Zambia, aligned to the ruling party, Lubinda Haabazoka issued a social media statement disowning Chibamba that he was not an economist.
Chibamba later apologized for the tweet through the Times of Zambia and Zambia Daily Mail after the Minister of Finance Margaret Mwanakatwe engaged him so as to calm the situation. The IMF resident representative, Baldini, still left Zambia the same month and the country had to do without an IMF resident representative for four years. The issue of Chibamba not being an economist emerged a few years later following another statement in which he supported an IMF programme for Zambia under the new regime of the United Party for National Development (UPND). The Minister of Finance and National Planning Dr. Situmbeko Musokotwane quickly issued a statement claiming Chibamba was his student in economics at the University of Zambia. Chibamba also responded via social media to clarify his academic credentials.

## Personal life

Chibamba is married to Eneless and has four children.

## Books

* "Business Values for Our Time", Bridges Communications, 2010.
* "Achievement Values for Young Adults", Bridges Communication, 2011.
* "Determinants of FDI in Sub-Saharan Africa", Lambert Academic Publishing, 2012.