MY AUNT MADE ME SLEEP IN A CHICKEN RUN AND MOP THE VERANDA WHILST IT WAS RAINING, CHELLAH TUKUTA REFLECTS ON UPBRINGING, EDUCATION, MARRIAGE, PRISON & MORE
PLEASE NOTE: This article is an adaptation from Cornelius Chellah Tukuta’s interview on Kenny T 1 ON T 1 podcast episode eight (8) hosted by Kenny Tonga, uploaded to YouTube on 13th March, 2025. Enjoy!
EARLY LIFE
Born in Chingola, Nchanga South Hospital on 28th December, 1987 – Cornelius Chellah Tukuta is a 37 year old socialite and professional photographer. Chellah Tukuta reveals that at the time of his birth, his parents had undergone a divorce as his father, a miner had left his wife and children after acquiring a significant amount of money, an act he said left his unemployed mother financially disabled forcing her to stay with a relative in a servant’s quarter as she got evicted from the miner’s houses.
Chellah Tukuta recounted a troubled upbringing as his visits to his father’s house who had remarried were met with tough living conditions. He mentioned of high segregation from his step mother who would not allow the five year-old Chellah to sit on certain chairs and eat certain foods. His days were coupled with heavy bloody beatings whenever he did something wrong, “It was a brutal regime, a brutal time,” the socialite said.
When asked by Kenny T what his father’s reactions were towards these injustices, Chellah Tukuta said that his father labelled him as the problem and recieved extra beatings, stating his upbringing was “survival of the fittest.”
Chellah Tukuta said that after his mother learned of his struggles, moved to village in Kasama to live with his uncle, “I found an aunt, yo yo yo yo yo! It was another terrible experience, yeah! Because now my aunty nomba bambo kula mbika namu chicken run, so ulala inkonko uku, ulachita demacate. Tulya utushishi twa nkonko tulya, tule kusuma bakamba,” lamented the photographer about sleeping in the chicken run. He further recounted mopping the veranda while it was raining and being woken up with slaps highlighting tough living conditions.
PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION
Grade 1 to 7
Whilst at his uncle’s place sleeping in chicken run, Chellah Tukuta began his primary education at Kasama Primary school, attending grade one and two at the school.
He revealed to Kenny T that, his mother got married to a headteacher in Kunkunta village, in remote Kasama where his mother moved him to after hearing his difficulty living conditions at his uncle’s place. Chellah Tukuta enrolled in grade three a class occupied by three grades at the same time and at a school with only two classrooms.
His troubles continued at his stepfather’s house as his mother’s relationship with the headteacher was toxic, going into several separations and at some point evicting her and her children at midnight. Chellah Tukuta recounts his life being saved by stumbling as he ran from his stepfather who threw a spear at him.
After learning from third to fifth grade at the village school, his father with a little sense of sympathy for his son’s difficulty living condition requested for him to go back Luanshya and live with him. Chellah Tukuta travelled the miles long journey alone. He recounts owning a pair of flip flops for the first time after he reached Lusaka – from there, he continued to Luansha.
Upon reaching Luanshya, Chellah Tukuta got stranded as his brother ‘Gregory’ who was supposed to pick him up never showed up. “The first time I saw an angel in my life,” he recounted as a stranger picked him up, reported his temporary adoption to the police and took him in.
Chellah Tukuta recounted how this “Angel” man took care of him for two weeks, bought him clothes, shoes and food before his father with an emotionless face showed up to pick him up.
“You know as a child you are excited to see your father… I ran to my father bakamba, yalifye ati okay okay eko tuleya. You know that feeling where you run to your father, you are excited to see him but he is not excited to see you… These things I think about them now, this is why I am always the best dad, because I never had the best dad but I always want to be the best dad to my kids,” Chellah recounted meeting his dad after three years, a situation that motivates him up to now to be a good father to his two girls.
Chellah Tukuta life situation was not better after his move from the village, with the father not interested in his well being, it took neighbours to raise money for his school requirements to be met despite his father being very capable as he held general manager position at his work place. Young Chellah Tukuta would start sixth grade at Mpelembe primary school (now secondary school).
With a new step mother, Chellah Tukuta’s move from one house to another seemed not to make a difference as threats of being sent back to the village and turning off lights while he studied for his seventh grade exams were a common scene. Despite all his adversities, Chellah Tukuta passed his 7th grade examination with flying colors, scoring an impressive 799.
Grade 8 to 9
“Catholic raised me,” Chellah Tukuta appreciated the role the church had in his life as his next educational journey to secondary school was facilitated by well wishers. His stay at Luanshya Boys secondary school was not short of drama. Chellah Tukuta recounted missing classes because his guardians gave him chores to do during the time he was supposed be in class.
“Ba step mum baiso bula uniform yandi, baisa bika mo ka ball akebange,” Chellah Tukuta narrated about a point in his time at Luanshya Boys, in nineth grade when he was picked up by the police because he was found with marijuana in his uniform. Chellah Tukuta mentioned to Kenny T that, he was only released two weeks later after the police noticed that no one brought him food, hence realizing that he was set up.
After his release, the police officer told him to find somewhere else to stay as his parents did not mean well for him. Chellah Tukuta then went to stay at his rich friend’s place, studied hard for the examination- scoring 98 in history and 99 in mathematics. With his headteacher crying after seeing his score of 499, he was destined for DK or Hillcrest but with no financial support that journey could not take off.
Grade 10 to 12
With his grace being the reason for his continued prosperity, Chellah Tukuta’s headteacher offered the financial support he need but to pursue his senior secondary education at Luanshya Boys. With more grace still following him, the Catholic church stepped in and financed his move to Serenje Boys boarding school.
Chellah Tukuta revealed that his distinction scores at senior secondary school booked him an opportunity to study medicine in Germany sponsored by the catholic school.
TERTIARY EDUCATION
Chellah Tukuta moved to Germany to pursue a career in medicine, but after a year of studying the German language, he had a change of mind. He communicated how he felt about medicine to his sponsors, who advised him to study psychosocial counselling in France as he was still contemplating.
“I discovered myself,” said Chellah Tukuta as he talked about his move to University of Chicago, USA to study political science, philosophy, a move which was sponsored by the catholic church.
It was during his stay in the USA that he realized his love for photography. His meeting with Scott Kelby a renowned American photographer, paved his way to the New York institute of Photography. After learning photography, he then came back to Zambia to pursue a career he loved.
With finances raised in the USA, Chellah Tukuta persued a full ACCA course at ZICAS for his personal benefits and not to practice. “When people are talking on social media, hey, you are just a cameraman, I look at them and I am like, bro, do you know the qualifications I have? The difference is that I have only chosen to follow my passion,” the socialite and photographer told Kenny T as he further mentioned that, he had invested a 120,000 US dollars in his photography business.
BECOMING AN INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER
When asked how he broke into the international market, Chellah Tukuta responded to Kenny T saying, “When every photographer was focusing on weddings, kitchen parties, I focused on street photography, street and documentary photography. Where I was going in the street, to capture people, to capture the essence of life.
He continued, “So when everyone else was focusing on the money, I was focusing on something different and that gave me the niche, where now the world began to look and say, wait a minute! This guy is telling stories through pictures, because at that time, street or documentary photography was not very common among African photographers.”
He further added, “I created images that now began to be exhibited across the world, Newark Museum of Art, Japan… I started now traveling.”
Chellah Tukuta further opened up about how his choice to stay at a photographer colleague’s house in Iba, Nigeria enabled him to capture captivating images such as in areas where slave trade took place propelling him into fame in the Nigerian media, a spotlight that connected him to prominent Nigerian celebrities such as Falz, Rudeboy and Davido.
It was because of this that he became a photographer for South Africa fashion week and becoming close friends with prominent South Africa’s DJ Black Coffee.
“Black Coffee when he is in Zambia, Chellah where are you, I want you to document me,” the photographer said when explaining his close relationship with the DJ.
GOVERNMENT JOB (PRESIDENTIAL PHOTOGRAPHER & FOREIGN SERVICE)
“In life there’s taking risks,” Chellah Tukuta highlighted that, when most people during Dr. Hakainde Hichilema’s opposition years where trying to rip early benefits, he was focused on working with him eying presidential photographer when he ascended to power.
After his arrest at Lusaka Central Police for defamation of character, a charge he recieved due to his fight for justice and human rights he said. Chellah Tukuta was visited by Dr. Hakainde Hichilema who covered his lawyer fees and offered solidarity. After his release, he offered a free photoshoot to Dr. Hakainde Hichilema which ended in a job offer. “Whilst doing a photoshoot, he said, you are so professional, and from this day you’ll be my presidential photographer,” said Chellah Tukuta on his pre government appointment.
Chellah Tukuta who left the position with so much controversy, said his departure from the ‘prestigious’ presidential photographer position was catalysed by the low pay of 220 Zambian Kwacha travelling allowance and around 17,000 Zambian Kwacha salary which could not cover his needs. A cumulative of his monthly earnings he could make from one weekend event booking as he charged 20 to 30 thousand Zambian Kwacha per session. In fear of being involved in illegalities, Chellah Tukuta shared his predicament with president and he responded, “We will find you something, probably in foreign service, that’s how I went where? To Brazil.”
“I asked the president to leave state house,” share Chellah Tukuta as he dismissed allegations of “running mouth” being the root cause for his dismissal as presidential photographer and being sent in foreign service in Brazil to term his tongue on social media.
“For me it was to serve the country and to do my best in my capacity, ok! That’s why I went there,” said Chellah Tukuta as he explained what a great experience it was to work in foreign service. The photographer further complained about how unqualified individuals are employed in foreign service and exploit their positions, something he would like to see change.
When asked by Kenny T over his social media drama while in foreign service, Chellah Tukuta responded, “I was defending the president because I knew if my president goes, I also go” and that people were just jealous of him.
When asked why he was called back from his foreign service duties, the photographer said he was never given a reason for his dismissal. But he stated that at the time of his dismissal, he had procured enough photography equipments and he had been wishing to come back home to do his own personal work as there was not enough money in civil service.
PRISON TIME
“I was a ‘Don’ in prison bwana, Mr. Chellah no no! here is a space for you, kwaaa with a bed, what! President Hakainde Hichilema, when I was in there, pizza, hungry lion,” said Chellah Tukuta on his soft life in prison. Furthermore, because of his background, the photographer said he was not moved by his arrest and the two years sentence he was slaped with.
Chellah Tukuta also took an opportunity to share some of the unfair occurrences he observed while incarcerated as he talked about how the justice system broken and inhumane prisoner treatment, things he said he would like to change if given a opportunity to be president.
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
Despite being divorced six years ago, Chellah Tukuta revealed that, he and his ex wife who they have two beautiful daughters, have a great co-parenting experience.
The photographer did not give a clear reasons for his divorce but attributed it to a dysfunctional union. He further took an opportunity to dispel rumours of leaving his wife for light skinned girl as he said, “The marriage was already done when I was pulling up that stunt.”
Chellah Tukuta revealed that he was paid to pull up the stunt with the light skinned musician. Because he had lost all the properties he owned, as the names were changed, and at that point in time he needed to make a come back financially, Chellah Tukuta took the offer to do the stunt where he played boyfriend and girlfriend with the said woman sharing explicit content attracting so much attention. A stunt the photographer says is the greatest ever in the country because people believed it.
The photographer recounts losing properties, remaining with only an empty house and two plots he did not disclose, supposedly to his wife. He turned the empty house into a photo studio and ran a promotion that saw him buying a runx and refurbished his house.
BUILDING SOCIAL MEDIA FRENZY
When Kenny T asked, “there are some people who feel like you are looking down on people who are renting, can you clarify that?” The socialite and photographer responded, “Te kumwenamo abantu bale renting’a, you have to be provoked for you to go to a certain level. If no one provokes you to get to a certain level, you will never reach that level, so in life you need someone poking you, provoking you to say, iwe leko ku renting’a.
The socialite and photographer continued, “Then people will be like, ahh! Chilenkola ichi, naya mukushita ama buloko, chilenkola ichi, naya mukushita cement, chilenkola ichi, let me go and buy sand. Then at the end of the day, you’ll build, I’d have achieved what I want to achieve because I want to see them building and becoming independent, you know, namu kwata akayanda.”
Chela Tukuta clarified that he does not explain his motive behind “showing off” his house because his methods are effective in persuading his followers to build as he has influenced a large number, stating that the opposite would be boring.
When explaining how he built his house, Chellah Tukuta revealed that, because he is an influencer, he’d exchange his services for building materials instead of money, something that helped him finish build despite being recalled from Brazil.
Chellah Tukuta further explained that, he had been saving money whilst in Brazil. Coupled with the thirty(30) thousand US dollars they are given when returning stuff back home, the photographer managed to pay off his camera bills he got on hire purchase and buy more land.
SOCIAL MEDIA BEEF AND REGRETS?
The socialite, photographer, accountant and political scientist told Kenny T that he does not beef with anyone but shares his opinion on issues that are in the social media space. On having any regrets, Chellah Tukuta said his only regret is the choice of friends he made and how the women he tries to date worry of being posted on his social media, something he clarified saying, the social media Chellah Tukuta is different from the real life version of him, but they do not see it as such.
TRENDING VIDEOS
Regarding the trending explicit videos, Chellah Tukuta revealed that, he had recieved an anonymous messages of blackmail, threatening to expose him if he did not pay them money of which he told them to go ahead and publish.
He revealed that he was not the one in the videos as they were manipulated. He said, some videos showed a light skinned person and the other a dark skinned person which questioned the authenticity of the said explicit videos.
Chellah Tukuta has always been a controversial media personality since his early days and continues to be but one thing is true, after listening to his entire life story, there’s a bit of perspective shift in what most think he is. And here we are, knowing more of who is than before. What is your opinion? Leave a comment below.
