Nandi-Ndaitwah gazettes Mutwa as Masubia chief
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has officially gazetted Gilbert Muhongo Mutwa as the chief of the Masubia tribe.
The announcement was made through a government gazette dated 15 July, formalising Mutwa’s ascension following his recognition in April by urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa as the rightful successor.
Mutwa, a former legal drafter in the justice ministry who retired from public service in 2017, takes over from the late Chief Kisco Maiba Liswani III, who died in 2021 after contracting Covid-19.
Liswani III’s passing triggered a prolonged succession dispute, prompting the urban and rural development ministry to establish a committee to investigate competing claims. Public hearings were held between 5 and 18 December 2022 and again from 15 to 20 May 2023.
Mutwa was among four contenders for the chieftaincy, including Fredrick Nalisa, former Katima Mulilo police station commander James Kabati Maiba, and the late chief’s son, Trevor Chiswaniso Maiba.
Speaking in 2023, Mutwa pledged to lead with transparency and a strong developmental agenda. He criticised the misuse of funds from the community’s fishing quota allocations, lamenting the lack of visible improvements in the lives of local residents.
“I am not a chief who will go there to eat, but one who will go there to build up the community,” he said. “I will ensure that this chieftainship is recognised everywhere.”
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The announcement was made through a government gazette dated 15 July, formalising Mutwa’s ascension following his recognition in April by urban and rural development minister Sankwasa James Sankwasa as the rightful successor.
Mutwa, a former legal drafter in the justice ministry who retired from public service in 2017, takes over from the late Chief Kisco Maiba Liswani III, who died in 2021 after contracting Covid-19.
Liswani III’s passing triggered a prolonged succession dispute, prompting the urban and rural development ministry to establish a committee to investigate competing claims. Public hearings were held between 5 and 18 December 2022 and again from 15 to 20 May 2023.
Mutwa was among four contenders for the chieftaincy, including Fredrick Nalisa, former Katima Mulilo police station commander James Kabati Maiba, and the late chief’s son, Trevor Chiswaniso Maiba.
Speaking in 2023, Mutwa pledged to lead with transparency and a strong developmental agenda. He criticised the misuse of funds from the community’s fishing quota allocations, lamenting the lack of visible improvements in the lives of local residents.
“I am not a chief who will go there to eat, but one who will go there to build up the community,” he said. “I will ensure that this chieftainship is recognised everywhere.”
[email protected]
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