By 
Former Lusaka Province Minister, Bowman Lusambo, has told the court that his house in Chamba Valley was not extravagant and that any Zambian can afford to build a similar property.
Lusambo is facing allegations that between May 1, 2015, and December 31, 2021, he unlawfully possessed property number F/609/E/44/B/9—a four-bedroom house with a guest wing in Chamba Valley—reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime.
Testifying before Chief Resident Magistrate Davies Chibwili at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court, Lusambo, who is currently incarcerated at Mwembeshi Maximum Prison, defended the acquisition of the property, insisting that he built it using funds earned during his political career.
He argued that political funding has long operated without formal financial documentation.
“Even today, if you ask the UPND Secretary General where the money used in the Petauke by-election came from, he won’t say,” Lusambo said. “In politics, we don’t produce receipts, and that’s a fact.”
Lusambo detailed his political journey, dating back to his time with former President Rupiah Banda between 2009 and 2011.
He said that as the National Coordinator of the Die Hard National Youth Wing under the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD), he received allowances and campaign funds from the late Dr. Chikunta, a political advisor to the president.
He recounted receiving large sums of cash for campaign logistics, including K250 million (unrebased) for a by-election in Mansa, with K80 million allocated as his personal allowance and K5 million for fuel.
During another campaign in North-Western Province, he said he received K350 million for activities and an additional K75 million directly from President Banda.
“In Mandevu, I received K20 million unrebased for personal upkeep and K50 million unrebased for constituency activities,” he stated.
Lusambo said he bought his Chamba Valley plot from Kombe Washington Zimba in 2012 for K75,000.
He later worked with Dr. Nevers Mumba when the latter sought to take over the MMD and was placed on a K35,000 monthly allowance, with an additional K10,000 for accommodation and a brand-new Prado.
By 2013, he said he had begun constructing his house, engaging South African-based company Klobbers, which charged K1.6 million for the project. Payments were made in installments.
“The documents show that K1.6 million was spent on my house. It is not extraordinary; it is a house that anyone can afford to build,” he said.
In 2016, Lusambo joined the Patriotic Front (PF) and was elected as Kabushi Member of Parliament before being appointed Copperbelt Minister.
He explained that he stopped receiving his parliamentary salary upon assuming ministerial duties but continued earning sitting and committee allowances.
He also disclosed that as a minister, he undertook a 21-day government-sponsored trip to China and regularly received government-gazetted allowances during official visits.
Lusambo dismissed claims that his house was worth K18.5 million, maintaining that it cost K1.6 million. He accused the state of fabricating financial allegations against him.
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