BRIEFING | Old Guards Under Pressure as Mwiimbu Trails in Monze East UPND Polls
A quiet but significant political shift may be unfolding inside the United Party for National Development as some of the party’s long-serving figures begin facing resistance in grassroots adoption processes ahead of the August general election.
Early figures emerging from Monze East Constituency suggest Home Affairs Minister Jack Mwiimbu is facing an unexpectedly competitive race against Victor Cheelo in internal UPND ward-level consultations tied to parliamentary adoption.
According to results circulating from six wards, Mwiimbu has so far lost in four wards, with Cheelo recording dominant margins in areas such as Singonya, Chipembele, and Chisekesi. While Mwiimbu maintained strong numbers in Mayaba and Manungu wards, the overall tally currently places Cheelo ahead with 149 votes against Mwiimbu’s 126.
The development is politically notable given Mwiimbu’s stature within the ruling party. One of the UPND’s longest-serving loyalists, he has represented Monze Central since 2001 and remains among the party’s most recognisable figures in Southern Province. His recent decision to shift to the newly created Monze East Constituency after delimitation was itself politically symbolic, especially after public debate over long-serving lawmakers and political renewal.
What is emerging now inside the UPND is a broader tension between institutional loyalty and grassroots renewal.
Across several constituencies, internal adoption processes are increasingly becoming competitive rather than ceremonial. Younger or locally entrenched figures are beginning to challenge established political heavyweights, reflecting shifting expectations within party structures ahead of a highly consequential election.
The ruling party’s own messaging has partly fuelled this atmosphere. UPND Elections Chairperson Likando Mufalali recently stated that adoptions would be based on “merit” and “grassroots recommendations,” warning that the party would not automatically favour old members over popular candidates on the ground.
That position is now colliding with political reality.
For years, many liberation-era and long-serving opposition figures within UPND survived on loyalty politics forged during the years the party spent in opposition. But now, with the party in government, local structures are increasingly prioritising visibility, accessibility, resource mobilisation, and electoral competitiveness over historical sacrifice alone.
The Monze East numbers may still shift as district and provincial processes continue, but they reveal an important undercurrent: even in traditional UPND strongholds, incumbency within the party is no longer guaranteed.
The old guards are still influential.
But for the first time in years, some are being forced to fight politically for survival inside their own movement.
© The People’s Brief | Goran Handya
For Monze East Constituency, so far, Jack Mwimbu has lost in four out of six wards.
Ufwenuka ward
Jack Mwimbu 18
Victor Cheelo 23
Singonya ward
Jack Mwimbu 04
Victor cheelo. 31
Chipembele ward
Jack Mwimbu. 07
Victor Cheelo. 36
Chisekesi ward
Jack Mwimbu 05
Victor Cheelo 38
Mayaba ward
Jack Mwimbu 44
Victor cheelo 00
Manungu ward
Jack mwimbu 34
Victor Cheelo 04
District level
Jack mwimbu 21
Victor Cheelo 17
Total
Jack Mwimbu 126
Victor Cheelo 149