Politics
Hichilema rallies UPND faithful in Lusaka as 2026 campaign opens
The President pledged a second-term economic plan focused on jobs, mining royalties and a renegotiated debt programme as supporters poured into the Showgrounds.
Joseph Lungu·7 hours ago
LUSAKA — President Hakainde Hichilema launched the UPND's 2026 re-election bid at the Lusaka Showgrounds on Saturday, telling tens of thousands of supporters that the next five years would be defined by jobs, investment and the completion of a debt restructuring he says has steadied the kwacha.
"We have brought Zambia back from the edge," the President said, flanked by Vice-President Mutale Nalumango and senior UPND officials. "What is left is to convert stability into employment for our young people."
The rally is the first of ten provincial launches the party plans before nominations open. Opposition parties dismissed the address as long on rhetoric and short on detail.
Earlier in the week the Electoral Commission of Zambia confirmed that the 2026 voter register has surpassed 7.4 million — the largest in Zambian history.
