Career
Nkombo stood as the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy candidate in a by-election in Mazabuka Central in 1999 and he was not elected. He then stood as the Forum for Democracy and Development candidate in Mazabuka Central at the 2001 general election and he was not elected.
Nkombo was first elected as an MP in the 2006 Zambian general election representing Mazabuka Central in the National Assembly as a member of the United Party for National Development (UPND). He was again elected MP in the 2011, 2016 and 2021 Zambian general elections.
In August 2016 he was appointed Party Whip for the UPND.
In September 2021, Nkombo was appointed Minister of Local Government and Rural Development. On Friday, 28 March 2025, Gary Nkombo was terminated from his appointment as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development by president Hakainde Hichilema for unspecified reasons.
Members of the UPND close to the president suggested that he was removed for corruption. However, others in the party recognized his growing influence especially with those who disagree with the current administration’s direction, and suggest that his removal was more political – removal of a potential rival to Hakainde Hichilema, the president. Following his relief from the role of local government ministry, he explained that he had no hard feelings over the decision to drop him.
As of August 2025, Nkombo is the UPND's chairman of elections. On 28 March 2026, Nkombo was dismissed as the party chairman for elections and was replaced by Likando Mufalali.
In May 2026, Nkombo applied to defend his parliamentary position in Mazabuka Central constituency at the 2026 general election as an independent candidate after citizens went to his home to convince him to participate. He proceeded the following month to resign from the United Party for National Development (UPND) in order to complete his independent candidature. At the election, he came second to Vincent Lilanda (the UPND candidate) in Mazabuka Central.
