Nkandu Luo

Nkandu Phoebe Luo (born 21 December 1951) is a Zambian microbiologist and politician who was a vice presidential candidate for the Patriotic Front in the August 2021 election. She is a microbiologist who previously served as Head of Pathology and Microbiology at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka and has carried out extensive research into HIV/AIDS.

Early life and education Luo was born at Lubwa Mission Hospital in Chinsali on 21 December 1951. Her parents were both teachers and Luo was one of the eight surviving children. She attended Roma Girls Secondary School and Dominican Convent. She has a MSc in microbiology from Moscow State University and a MSc and PhD in immunology from the University of Brunei Darussalam. She has published numerous journal articles on HIV/AIDS.

Luo was elected to parliament representing the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy in the Mandevu constituency in 1996. She served as Deputy Minister of Health from 1997 to 1999 and Health Minister in 1999, however she clashed with both donors and health workers and was moved from the post in November 1999 and replaced by David Mpamba. which seeks to free Zambia from commercial sex-work and HIV/AIDS. She established the National AIDS Control program, the National Blood Transfusion Service and the Prevention of Mother to Child transmission of HIV/AIDS program. to February 2015. Luo was sworn in as Minister of Gender by Edgar Lungu in February 2015. In March 2016, Luo was adopted as President of the Women Parliamentary caucus at the 134th Inter Parliamentary Union conference in Lusaka. She retained her Munali constituency seat at the August 2016 election and the following month, she became Zambia's Higher Education Minister. Luo was appointed as the Minister of Fisheries and Livestock in July 2019. On 20 October 2019, she threatened to cancel the memorandum of understanding with the Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF) for the construction of an agricultural industrial park in Chipata worth over $1 billion.

Luo was the running mate for President Lungu in the August 2021 election after Vice President Inonge Wina announced her decision to retire.

Selected publications