By Brian Okoth
Zambia's former First Lady Maureen Kakubo Mwanawasa has died at the age of 61.
Mwanawasa died at the Maina Soko Medical Centre in the capital Lusaka on Tuesday.
The former first lady succumbed after a short illness.
She was the spouse of Zambia's third President Levy Mwanawasa, who served from 2002 until his death in 2008.
'Deep shock and sorrow'
President Hakainde Hichilema said in a statement on Tuesday that Maureen Mwanawasa's demise left him in "deep shock and sorrow."
President Hichilema added in his statement: "We call on the country to unite as we join her family and the nation in prayer."
To many Zambians, the former first lady was a beacon of kindness, compassion, and dedication to the Zambian nation.
Mwanawasa was born on April 28, 1963 in Kabwe, a town in Zambia's Central Province.
Lawyer by profession
She pursued her undergraduate degree in law at the University of Zambia, and later her master's degree in international business administration at the Edith Cowan University in Australia.
She married former President Levy Mwanawasa, who was also a lawyer by profession, in the late 1980s.
The couple had four children together – three daughters and a son.
Maureen Mwanawasa was a founding member and former president of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS, currently known as the Organization of African First Ladies for Development.
Profound impact
She dedicated her life to championing social development and social justice, as well as highlighting global public health issues.
During her tenure as the president of the organization of African first ladies, she commissioned the first paediatric antiretroviral therapy in Africa and mobilised African nations to acknowledge the reality of HIV/AIDS.
Through her Maureen Mwanawasa Community Initiative, the former first lady provided secondary school and college education scholarships to a number of learners.
Her profound impact on humanity won her international recognition by several organisations.
Political ambition
Just like her husband, Mwanawasa had the political dream in her.
In 2016, she ran for the position of Mayor of Lusaka.
In her campaign, she promised to address water shortage, garbage collection problems, and city hygiene challenges.
Mwanawasa came second, behind Wilson Kalumba of the Patriotic Front in the elections held in August that year.
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