When Kenneth Kaunda married Betty Banda in 1946, he was a young teacher in what was then Northern Rhodesia, and independence seemed a distant dream. Over the decades that followed, he became a leader of the freedom movement, was jailed by the colonial authorities, and in 1964 became the first president of independent Zambia. Through all of it, Betty was at his side. Zambians came to know her as Mama Kankasa. Their marriage lasted 66 years, until her death in 2012, and it remains one of Africa’s best-known political partnerships.
Two young people and independence
Kenneth Kaunda was born in 1924 at Lubwa Mission in northern Zambia. Betty Banda was four years younger. The couple married in 1946, when Kaunda was working as a teacher. Kaunda joined the nationalist movement in the 1950s. He later led the United National Independence Party, which took Zambia to independence. He was imprisoned by the colonial authorities. Betty raised their children and supported the family during his absence.
On 24 October 1964, Zambia became independent with Kaunda as its first president.
Mama Kankasa and their family
As first lady, Betty became known as Mama Kankasa. She was seen as a warm, maternal figure. The Kaundas had a large family, including both biological and adopted children. The couple suffered the loss of children, including their son Masuzyo, who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1986. Kaunda later spoke openly about it. Kaunda lost the 1991 multiparty election to Frederick Chiluba and accepted the result.
The couple remained together in retirement, and Kaunda campaigned against HIV and AIDS. Betty Kaunda died in September 2012, aged 84. Kenneth Kaunda died in June 2021, aged 97.
Their example and Kaunda's faith
Zambians often point to the Kaundas as an example of loyalty and long marriage. Visitors to State House in Lusaka described a household full of children, relatives and guests. Betty managed much of the family’s daily life while her husband travelled to summits across Africa and the world. Kaunda was the son of a Church of Scotland minister, and Christian faith shaped his politics.
Betty Kaunda married a schoolteacher in 1946. By the time she died, she had spent 66 years with him, through his years in prison, his 27 years as president and his retirement.
