( CNN ) -- Considered one of modern Africa 's founding fathers , Zambia 's first President Kenneth Kaunda has spent much of his life fighting some of Africa 's toughest battles . From his struggles against the racism and oppression of colonial rule in the 1950s to the fight against AIDS today , it 's been an eventful life for Zambia 's former leader . Kaunda 's rise to prominence started in the early 1950s , a time of growing political unrest in the region . Independence movements across Africa were gaining momentum and activists , becoming ever more defiant , were demanding the end of colonialism and the right to self government . In Northern Rhodesia -- soon to become Zambia -- Kaunda was in the midst of the struggles , fighting against a repressive and racist regime , he explained to CNN . `` We were going to defy unjust laws , conditions of slavery more or less ... There was segregation of the worst form . '' He continued : `` Schools for whites , schools for blacks , hospitals for whites , few hospitals for blacks . And so it went on . Everywhere there was racial discrimination . '' But his fight for independence was not without consequence and in 1959 Kaunda was arrested and jailed for ten months . For Kaunda , prison was an inevitable part of the fight for freedom . `` I think I succeeded in the end but it meant going into prison defying unjust laws , being arrested by the police , beaten up , thrown into prison , '' he said . `` You come out and you still continue and we did this and in the end thank God we succeeded . '' After his release in January 1960 Kaunda became leader of the newly formed United National Independence Party ( UNIP ) and in 1964 after elections and much political wrangling , Zambia was finally granted independence from the British with Kaunda as its president . It was a presidency which was to last 27 years , but under one party rule . A decision highly criticized , with many accusing Kaunda of presiding over a dictatorship . But Kaunda has remained defiant about his decision to form a one-party state , telling CNN : `` My colleagues and I decided we 're going to go into one party . The reason for that , there was no way , no way at all in which we could have fought and defeated colonialism all around us , with so many parties in Zambia at that time . No way at all . He continued : `` No , I have never been a dictator . It was a bargain with the people . But even then I knew it was not the best thing to do . But in that situation it was the only way out . '' In 1990 Kaunda finally legalized opposition parties setting the stage for free , multi-party elections , which took place in 1991 . The elections saw the end of Kaunda 's leadership with Frederick Chiluba from the Movement for Multiparty Democracy coming to power . Now , after 20 years away from the political spotlight , Kaunda is still campaigning . His major battle today is the fight against HIV/AIDS , a disease running rampant throughout his country , affecting one in eight Zambians . It 's a cause close to the former leader 's heart and one which has affected him personally . `` My own child , one of them , died of Aids . A brilliant boy , '' Kaunda told CNN . `` He died of AIDS but that 's not the reason why I am fighting AIDS . I fight AIDS because it 's a killer disease , destroys the human race in all fields . '' It 's this constant will to fight that leaves Kaunda positive about the future of his country and Africa . This despite the many challenges ahead . `` I 'm very hopeful that things will come right , '' he said to CNN . `` Because you see there was a time when a leader went wrong and they became an oppressor ... but today things have begun to change . `` The struggle , the condemnation is quite often within the continent of Africa . It 's a good beginning towards a realization of what , democracy is right in this world , east , west , north , south . So I 'm confident that we have begun to grow . '' Susannah Palk contributed to this report .
Kenneth Kaunda became Zambia 's first President after independence in 1964 . During the country 's struggles , Kaunda was jailed twice by the colonial authorities . Once in power , he governed for 27 years under one-party rule . He died of a heart attack at age 70 on October 26 2016.