Kalaba Pledges Universal Land Titles for Every Zambian Turning 18

Citizens First President Harry Kalaba has pledged that, if elected, his government would ensure every Zambian receives a piece of land with formal title upon turning 18, positioning the commitment as part of a broader economic agenda focused on expanding ownership and opportunity.

Kalaba said Zambia, with a land area of 752,614 square kilometres and a population of approximately 22.5 million, has only about 2.0 million citizens holding title deeds. He compared this unfavourably to Rwanda, which he said has achieved a higher rate of formal land ownership despite a smaller land area and population.

Rwanda's land titling programme, by contrast, is well documented. It is a nationwide regularisation exercise completed between 2009 and 2013 demarcated more than 10 million land parcels and resulted in roughly 8.8 million titles issued to landowners, giving it one of the highest rates of formal land registration on the continent.

Kalaba argued that expanding titled land ownership in Zambia would unlock economic value, give citizens collateral for investment, and provide legal protection against disputes and encroachment. He said a Citizens First government would reform the Ministry of Lands to streamline application processes and enable citizens to obtain titles more quickly, describing formal land ownership as a foundation for economic growth and stability.

The pledge adds land reform to the list of policy commitments opposition candidates are putting before voters ahead of the 13 August general election.