Second secretary of protocol at the Zambian High Commission in Kenya, Majaliwa Muwaya was yesterday installed as Senior Chief Chiwala of the Lamba people of Ndola, bringing to an end a long and bitter feud over the throne.

Senior Chief Mushili of the Lamba people installed Mr Muwaya, 51 at the Chiwala Palace. The installation ceremony took place after the Ndola High Court ruled last Friday that Mr Muwaya was duly selected as chief on June 5 last year.

Mr Muwaya, a brother of the late chief Ali Davy Muwaya, was selected last year but John Malokotela filed an injunction in the Ndola High Court to restrain Mr Muwaya from carrying out his duties as chief. Mr Malokotela also sued Mr Muwaya over the chieftaincy.

He wanted the court to declare the selection of Mr Muwaya as null and void because he claimed that Mr Muwaya was not correctly chosen by the electoral college and was not in the line of succession. Thaha Odemu Chiwala also intervened in the matter, saying he should be chosen as chief instead.

Mr Chiwala claimed that he was the first son of the grandson of the fifth Chief Chiwala. Ndola High Court Judge Munalula Lisimba on Friday dismissed both claims from Mr Malokotela and Mr Chiwala, saying Mr Muwaya was in the line of succession.

The installation that took place yesterday is known as Akambolo and was a preliminary event that takes place two months before the main installation ceremony. Senior Chief Mushili handed the instruments of power to Mr Muwaya. Senior Induna of the Chiwala chiefdom, Paul Sisala said the people of Chiwala chiefdom now had a chief after existing without a chief for nearly two years.

Mr Sisala urged the people of the chiefdom to forget the succession wrangles that took place prior to the installation and work together as one. He said the people of Chiwala should now be happy that they had a chief.

"We finally have a chief after a long time. This is our chief and we should work well with him because he is now the custodian of this chiefdom," Mr Sisala said. Copperbelt Provincial Local Government Officer, Solomon Sakala said he hoped the new chief would now deal with the illegal land allocations that took place in the absence of a leader in the area.

Mr Sakala said some people took advantage that the Chiwala chiefdom did not have a chief and sold land illegally. After the speeches, the palace door was opened for the first time since the death of the late chief. Chief Nkambo was also among those that attended the installation ceremony.