Top African Leaders

 Kenneth Kaunda (1924-2021) was a Zambian politician who served as the first President of Zambia from 1964 to 1991. He played a leading role in Zambia's struggle for independence from British colonial rule and was instrumental in the formation of the United National Independence Party (UNIP) in 1959.

Kaunda was born in Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia) and educated by British missionaries. After working as a teacher, he became involved in politics and was elected to the Legislative Council in 1953. He later became the leader of the Zambia African National Congress (ZANC), which was banned by the colonial government in 1959. Kaunda then formed the UNIP, which advocated for a non-violent approach to achieving independence for Zambia.