First Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda says he has been working on his memoirs since 2007.

Speaking when he received a US$50,000 (about K250 million) grant from Airtel today, Kaunda said the memoir would be produced through an audio and hardcopy book.

He said since he announced his intentions to embark on writing his memoirs in 2007, the exercise has been going on since then.

"There are however many challenges we have faced that have to do with funding for the exercise. As a result, work has stalled for some time," he said.

He said he was happy that Airtel had, in the exercise of its social corporate responsibility, decided to make the donation for the exercise to continue.

He said the importance of history for the nation could not be over emphasised because history affirms the identity of people as it creates a comprehensive framework for the information during and after the independence struggle.

Dr Kaunda further announced that a Kenneth David Kaunda Book Trust had been established and would consist of Dipak Patel, Mwelwa Chibesakunda, Colonel Panji Kaunda and Cheswa Silwizya as trustees.

And Airtel Zambia board chairman George Sokota said the production of the book would help in understanding the business, economic and political decisions that Dr Kaunda made on behalf of Zambia.