The Omega Wedding: an Enduring Love Story of Bo Imonda

When a headline in The Post newspaper, in November 2013, announced that a 98-year-old man in a remote Zambian village of Moole in Mongu District was seeking to remarry his 82-year-old ex-wife, it sparked a “perfect storm” that would capture the heart of a nation. But for Mushiba Imonda, this wasn’t just a news story - it was the final chapter of a 39-year-old mystery.

In this intimate and authoritative memoir, Amos Malupenga—then Permanent Secretary for Western Province—recounts how a quiet village matter in Moole transformed into a national sensation. From the dusty “pit-side” parliaments of Mongu to the glimmering halls of the Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka, The Omega Wedding traces the extraordinary journey of Bo Mushiba Imonda and Mama Sitali Kalaluka.

Separated in 1974 due to Mama Kalaluka’s inability to conceive, their reunion almost four decades later became a “lightning bolt” of hope. Malupenga provides a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the logistical effort to honour this union - bringing together government leaders, traditional Indunas, and even Akende Kawana, a six-year-old donor to fulfil a sacred vow.

More than a grand wedding chronicle, this book explores:

• The Theology of Companionship: A profound reflection on Genesis, arguing that God prioritised man’s need for a companion, a helper, over the command to multiply.
• A Challenge to the Script: An active protest against the “cultural script” that labels childless marriages as failures.
• The Alpha and the Omega: How a 98-year-old patriarch and his 82-year-old bride redefined marriage not as a contract for reproduction, but as a lifelong commitment to partnership.
• A National Legacy: From the “Prime Time” joy of their wedding to the “falling of a giant tree” in Moole, a testament to a love that refused to die.

Reviewer’s Comments

“This is our last wedding until death do us part. This is the Omega,” Mushiba Imonda.

“Through this writing, Amos Malupenga has created a masterpiece of Zambian non-fiction. It is emotionally raw, intellectually rigorous, and culturally transformative,” Professor Jason Mwanza, PhD, Scholar, Prolific Researcher, and Intellectual, University of Lusaka.

“This is a must-read for anyone interested in African social dynamics, leadership, or simply the endurance of the human spirit. It is dignified, moving, courageous, intellectually sharp, deeply African, and universally human,” Dr Austin Mwange, PhD, Scholar, Thought Leader and Intellectual – Economics, Finance, Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Business Management, University of Zambia.