In You Can’t Share Poverty, Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema delivers a clear-eyed account of what it takes to turn around a struggling economy and restore trust in government. Part political memoir, part reform playbook, this is a book about leadership under pressure – and the real-world consequences of policy decisions.
Hichilema traces Zambia’s journey from post-independence optimism through decades of state control, economic decline and rising debt, to the moment his administration took office in 2021 facing near bankruptcy. Drawing on his own experience – from rural beginnings and a career in business to repeated electoral defeats, imprisonment, and eventual victory in 2021 – he reflects on the challenges of rebuilding trust, restoring economic...
Hakainde Hichilema is the seventh president of the Republic of Zambia, elected in August 2021 after a long political career as leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND). Raised in rural Southern Province, he studied economics and business administration at the University of Zambia before earning an MBA from the University of Birmingham. He went on to become a successful businessman, serving as CEO of Coopers & Lybrand Zambia and later Grant Thornton Zambia.
After entering politics in 2006, Hichilema contested multiple elections before winning the presidency in 2021 in a landmark democratic victory. His administration has focused on economic reform, debt restructuring, anti-corruption measures and restoring investor confidence. He is widely regarded as a reform-oriented leader committed to growth, governance and regional cooperation.