The towering Hybrid Chicken in Lusaka has evolved from an advertising mascot to a cultural icon. Standing at over 3 metres, this urban symbol has become a landmark for Lusakans. Despite facing eviction in 2019, public outcry saved it, cementing The Hybrid Chicken’s place in the hearts of Zambians.
The African fish eagle poses, wings spread, on the Zambian flag. Her modelling portfolio boasts multiple editions of our currency, and she even haunts us musically in the lyrics of our national anthem. The eagle has had her fair share of brand deals, and her ability to fly has had her play the part of an ambassador for Zambia outside our shores. But holding down the fort at home while his avian cousin is out jetsetting is our humble Hybrid Chicken, Mukolwe.
Roosting at the Chainama roundabout in northeastern Lusaka, the Hybrid Chicken, much like her living counterparts, has become a routine part of Zambian life, as commonplace a sight as a chicken in the market. But what has elevated Mukolwe from a mere mealtime option to a mythical being is all the ways he stands larger than life.
At over 3 metres tall, Mukolwe is alert, his red comp upright, his feathers white and polished, and his beady eyes open and alert. The Hybrid Chicken is the closest thing Lusaka has to both a lighthouse and a cheerleading squad. Since his establishment, he has made it harder to get lost in Lusaka. Night and day, he stands, sometimes imposing, sometimes guiding and at other times, perplexing citizens.
What started as an advert for Hybrid Poultry Farms has turned into an urban symbol. A persistent hustler, ingrained in his mind since birth, is the phrase “Lusaka is for Business”, and Mukolwe switches professions with all the ease it takes to apply a new layer of paint. The Hybrid Chicken has been the first and only male member of the Copper Queens, an Olympic bronze medalist, as well as an ardent striker of Nkana Football Club. A passionate patriot with an inhuman level of time management, Mukolwe also paints himself in the colours of the flag every Independence Day and dons a Santa suit, scarlet enough to match his comb every Christmas. In 2024, Mukolwe showed enough mental discipline and physical rigour to graduate as a member of the Zambian Air Force. Keeping our skies safe despite his inability to fly.
In the winter of 2024, Mukolwe kicked off his career as a philanthropist with Lusakans rallying together to knit him a scarf while donating to Chisoma Centres, an organisation that makes a difference in the lives of at-risk children by providing them with food, shelter and care. At the end of the drive, Mukolwe was sporting a beautiful and colourful scarf made out of the individual crocheted contributions of citizens, while Chisomo Centres had thousands of Kwacha more to assist children with.
His reign, though, like that of any royal, has not been without scandal. In 2019, The Hybrid Chicken was issued a letter of eviction from his perch of many years, but the public outcry, peeking in letters from schoolchildren begging for the pardon of their beloved pet inkoko, kept Mukolwe on his perch and saved him from the horrors of the Lusaka real estate market.
Both from fear of his absence and the guiding beady eyes of his presence, it is clear the 10-foot stationary bird is securely nestled in the hearts of Lusakans and, with each uniform change, has pecked his way into the ranks of Zambian monuments.
