Kaapanda was born on 12 June 1945 in Ondukuta in the Ovamboland of South West Africa, today the Omusati Region of Namibia.

He also attended the Paulinum Theological Seminary in Otjimbingwe between 1976 and 1978, and then became a political officer in the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN).

[citation needed] After independence of Namibia in 1990, Kaapanda obtained academic degrees abroad, first a B.A.

He served until September 2002 when then-president Sam Nujoma appointed him minister of regional and local government, housing and rural development.

[2] Kaapanda was not placed high enough in the SWAPO party list for the 2014 parliamentary election but entered parliament for a further short stint from January to March 2020.