Chiluba

Chiluba is a surname of Zambian origin and also the name of a Bantu language spoken in Zambia. The term is associated with different people and communities in the region.

The most prominent bearer of the name is Frederick Titus Jacob Chiluba (born 1943), a Zambian politician who served as the second president of Zambia from 1991 to 2002. He led the transition from one-party rule under Kenneth Kaunda to multiparty democracy and oversaw market-oriented economic reforms, privatization, and reforms of state enterprises. His presidency marked the consolidation of multiparty politics in the country after decades of single-party governance. In later years he faced legal proceedings on corruption charges, though the handling of these matters occurred within the Zambian judiciary.

Chiluba is also the name of a Bantu language in Zambia, classified within the Luba–Lunda group. It is spoken by communities in central and northern Zambia and is one of the country’s many indigenous languages. The language is typically written with the Latin alphabet and exists alongside more dominant languages such as Bemba and Nyanja in daily use and in education.

As a surname and as a language, Chiluba reflects the linguistic and political diversity of Zambia, a country with multiple ethnic groups and languages.