Between 2014 and 2021, during the presidency of Edgar Lungu, Soko’s companies—like Grandview International and Neria Investments—won multiple government contracts, often without competitive bidding. These included massive fertilizer contracts, medical supply tenders, and even oil procurement deals—all worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Multiple sources within Zambia’s Ministry of Finance allege that these deals were inflated, mismanaged, or executed with substandard deliveries, leading to massive losses in national revenue. Yet, investigations never stuck. Why?

“He had the right connections. Ministers, party officials, even judges—Bokani knew how to grease the right wheels,” said one senior civil servant, who spoke under condition of anonymity.