Kasama High Court Upholds Kambwili’s Five-Month Sentence Over Hate Speech

Nearly two years after former Information Minister Chishimba Kambwili made controversial remarks on a local radio programme, the Kasama High Court has dismissed his appeal against a five-month sentence with hard labour.

A panel of three High Court judges delivered the ruling, upholding the original conviction on the grounds that Kambwili’s comments were hate speech targeting Tonga-speaking people. The remarks, made during a live broadcast on Radio Mano Community Radio Station on 2 August 2021, were deemed deliberately inflammatory and unlawful.

The original conviction was handed down by the Subordinate Court in Kasama on 30 November 2023. Consequently, Kambwili has been found guilty under Section 70(1) of the Penal Code, which criminalises expressions of hatred, ridicule, or contempt based on race, tribe, place of origin, or colour. The court emphasised that his statements had the potential to incite tribal conflict and undermine national unity.

Kambwili later appealed the conviction, while the State filed a cross-appeal seeking a harsher sentence. Both appeals were heard on 9 October 2024, and the High Court delivered its judgement today, 14 July 2025. In its ruling, the court dismissed Kambwili’s appeal as lacking merit and upheld the original sentence.

As a result, Kambwili is expected to begin serving his five-month sentence with hard labour immediately.