Botswana, Kenya and Namibia Join Leaders in Congratulating Hichilema on Re-Election

Botswana, Kenya and Namibia have all sent congratulatory messages to President Hakainde Hichilema following his re-election, part of a steady stream of regional messages Zambia has received since results were declared on 18 August.

BOTSWANA

President Duma Gideon Boko sent his congratulations most recently, on 29 August, according to the Zambian Observer, adding Botswana's voice to the growing list of Southern African leaders to formally recognise Hichilema's second term.

KENYA

Kenyan President William Ruto's message, dated 18 August, the day results were announced, was among the earliest received. "On behalf of the Government and the people of Kenya, and on my own behalf, I extend my warmest congratulations to you and the people of Zambia on the election held on 13 August 2026, and on your re-election as President of Zambia," Ruto said, describing the victory as "resounding and decisive" and a testament to Hichilema's "unwavering dedication, perseverance and commitment to the advancement" of Zambia. He said Kenya looked forward to working with Hichilema to "further solidify and broaden the bonds of friendship and cooperation" between the two countries.

NAMIBIA

Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, in a message reported by the Zambian Observer, paired her congratulations with a pointed reflection on what a renewed mandate requires. "The privilege of receiving the mandate of the people carries with it an equally profound responsibility to govern in the interests of all citizens," she said. She went further, framing democracy as an ongoing obligation rather than a single event: "Democracy is strengthened not only by the holding of elections, but by our collective commitment to protecting the institutions, values and freedoms that give those elections meaning." Nandi-Ndaitwah also called for deeper Southern African cooperation on unemployment, climate change, peace and security, and reaffirmed Namibia's commitment to working with Zambia on regional peace, stability and sustainable development. Zambia and Namibia's relationship dates back to Zambia's support for Namibia's liberation struggle, a history Hichilema himself invoked when he travelled to Windhoek to attend Nandi-Ndaitwah's own inauguration as Namibia's first female president in March 2025.

PART OF A LARGER PICTURE

The three messages join earlier congratulations from Tanzania, Burundi, the United States, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Somalia, Israel, Malawi, India, Zimbabwe, Greece, Rwanda, the IMF, Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco and the Commonwealth, a list MUVI has tracked as it has grown since Hichilema's win was declared. Most messages, including Namibia's, have stopped short of commenting on Zambia's contested domestic aftermath, the Constitutional Court petition NRPUP's Brian Mundubile has pursued, the Kabulonga security operation, and the now-resolved court closure, focusing instead on bilateral ties and, in several cases, praise for Zambia's electoral process itself.