“…master the craft, guard your values, and serve deliberately.”- Chimwemwe Mulenga Bwalya
Chimwemwe Mulenga Bwalya is a Zambian legal practitioner and Senior Associate at MOIRA Legal Practitioners. She specialises in tax law, transfer pricing, data protection, mining law, insurance law, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate advisory, and regulatory reform. Her work combines regulatory and transactional expertise with public-policy engagement, enabling her to advise both private clients and government stakeholders on law-making and regulatory implementation.
Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from Nelson Mandela University, a Master of Laws (LLM) in Tax Law from the University of Cape Town, an ongoing LLM in Extractives Industry Law in Africa at the University of Pretoria. She is admitted to the Bar in Zambia. Her technical foundation is complemented by practical contributions to national policy, including drafting and consultations for the Companies (Amendment) Act 2025, and tax-law reforms affecting Zambia’s financial architecture. She has worked on provisions under the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, presumptive tax and excise tax for the gaming industry, and exemptions for public-benefit organisations, particularly educational institutions.
In the data-governance space, Chimwemwe collaborates with Zambia’s Data Protection Commission to develop policy frameworks and compliance instruments such as guidelines. She also conducts training sessions to various private entities, to strengthen institutional capacity. Her transactional portfolio includes complex M&A deals, tax-assessment disputes, strategic tax planning, and capital-market structuring, all guided by an approach that prioritises legal soundness, commercial practicality, and social responsibility.
Her practice is anchored on faith. She draws inspiration from Micah 6:8, “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God”, believing that integrity and service to others are spiritual duties.
A published author and frequent speaker, Chimwemwe’s insights appear in Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, Lexology, Afriwise, and firms’ publications. She also convenes webinars to promote legal literacy among startups and SMEs, focusing on compliance and investment readiness. Her combined experience positions her as a trusted advisor to businesses, regulators, and development partners across the country.
1. The Driving Force for Choosing the Legal Profession.
Chimwemwe’s passion for law began as a child’s instinctive response to injustice, a refusal to accept poor outcomes for others. That sense of fairness grew into a conviction that law is one of the few instruments strong enough to create order, open opportunity, and protect the vulnerable. Over time, it evolved into a love for disciplined reasoning, the precision of language, and the challenge of crafting solutions that are both principled and practical.
Her motivation is deeply spiritual. She draws strength from Proverbs 31:8–9, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…” and Leviticus 19:15, “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality… but judge your neighbour fairly.” For her, the practice of law is an act of stewardship; each transaction, tax opinion, or regulation is a chance to serve with integrity and humility.
What continues to make it fulfilling is that duality, every matter is both an intellectual challenge and a quiet contribution to justice, order, and growth. The work constantly demands both skill and conscience, reminding her that the law, when rightly used, is a form of service.
2. Qualities of an Exceptional Lawyer and How Young Professionals Can Cultivate Such Attributes.
Chimwemwe believes an exceptional lawyer must combine technical mastery, ethical courage, and policy awareness. Technical excellence, research, drafting, and analysis are the foundational elements. Integrity, however, is the true measure, the ability to be a truthful advocate even when honesty is inconvenient. She often reflects on Matthew 5:37, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No,’” as a reminder that a lawyer’s word must carry weight.
Because law increasingly overlaps with policy, economics, and technology, she encourages young lawyers to broaden their understanding, learn how laws are made, how regulators operate, and how markets respond. She advises them to pursue continuous professional development, secondments, attend policy consultations, and study emerging areas such as AI regulation. Equally important, she says, is spiritual grounding and mentorship, faith and community, give lawyers the resilience to act with conviction in difficult spaces.
For her, excellence is not a destination but a discipline, a daily commitment to honesty, preparation, and humility before the complexity of the law.
3. Significant Ongoing Project or Initiatives and Possible Impacts.
Chimwemwe’s current initiative is a legal-readiness programme for Zambian startups and social enterprises, designed to strengthen their investment, governance, and compliance capacity. She has been hosting webinars in partnership with various industry groups to provide practical guidance on ESG compliance, corporate governance, and regulatory awareness. The initiative also includes a support lab for entrepreneurs preparing cap tables, investor documents, and data-protection compliance frameworks.
In parallel, she continues to contribute to policy development, particularly by drafting guidelines for the Data Protection Commission and participating in tax-reform consultations. Her goal is to narrow the gap between legislative design and implementation, ensuring that reform becomes a tool for enterprise and transparency, not an administrative burden.
She hopes this work will build a generation of legally prepared entrepreneurs and institutions, able to engage confidently with both investors and regulators, and to model integrity-driven growth.
4. Role Models and Impactful Books.
Chimwemwe cites Sharon Sakuwaha as a profound influence, a lawyer whose mastery of corporate law, capital market, mergers and acquisitions, project finance, and the energy and mining sectors has set a benchmark for excellence in Zambia’s legal industry.
Sharon’s leadership, technical depth, and commitment to mentoring young lawyers have shaped Chimwemwe’s own approach to practice. She admires her ability to remain composed under pressure, to combine commercial insight with ethical precision, and to elevate others through mentorship.
The book that continues to shape her thinking is The Holy Bible, which she regards as both spiritual guide and ethical compass. Verses such as Proverbs 16:3, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed,” remind her that professional integrity begins with accountability to something higher than self. She believes that if she puts God first, the rest will follow.
5. Advice or Guiding Principles for Young Legal Professionals and Advocates Trying to Find their Place and Purpose in the Legal Terrain.
Chimwemwe’s counsel is concise: master the craft, guard your values, and serve deliberately. Begin with the fundamentals, research, drafting, and client service, and progressively learn adjacent disciplines. Seek mentors across sectors as perspective is built through diversity of experience.
She urges young lawyers to take initiative in public-interest work, whether through a law clinic, a policy submission, or a training programme, because service develops empathy and sharpens judgment. She often draws from Colossians 3:23 as a guiding principle: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” For her, that verse defines professional integrity, excellence pursued not for recognition, but as an act of stewardship.
She reminds aspiring lawyers that success without purpose is shallow. What endures is balance, moral clarity, intellectual curiosity, and a grounded spiritual life. These, she believes, are the quiet disciplines that sustain a meaningful and enduring legal career.
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Editorial Team
Silver Obioha
Clinton Nyamongo
Kazeem Afolabi
Dikeledi Matlhagare
Tolulope Olasunkanmi
Sulaimon Badmus
Aya Hamdy
Princess Maake
Jemilat Akerele
Vera Enubianozor
Brandon Otieno
Oluwabusayo Awodele
Kyenpiya Wonang
Gift Nwoke
Jessica Odoh
Tracy Karumba
Mary-Jones Ossi
Halimah Oladunni
Mary Linus
Peter Momoh
Jessica Omoruyi
