Hichilema Puts Boots on Ground, Launches National Campaign for Continuity

🇿🇲 EXCLUSIVE | Hichilema Puts Boots on Ground, Launches National Campaign for Continuity

After weeks of low-key assembling his political machinery through closed-door engagements with party structures across all ten provinces, President Hakainde Hichilema is preparing to shift into campaign mode.

On Sunday, the UPND leader will officially launch his nationwide presidential campaign at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, marking the beginning of what the ruling party hopes will become a countrywide push for a second mandate under the banner of continuity.

Unlike his opponents, Hichilema has deliberately delayed mass rallies, opting instead to spend the opening weeks of the campaign consolidating party structures, adopted candidates and provincial leadership. From Northern to Muchinga, Luapula, Western and Southern provinces, his message has remained consistent: organise first, campaign later.

Now, the strategy enters its public phase.

The launch itself is being packaged as more than a mega political rally. It is expected to be a demonstration of organisational strength. Party supporters have flooded social media with campaign posters, mobilisation messages and the familiar slogan “Bally Rally,” while organisers expect Heroes Stadium to transform into a sea of red as supporters converge from Lusaka and neighbouring districts.

Entertainment has also become part of the mobilisation strategy. Some of Zambia’s biggest music acts, including Yo Maps, Slap Dee, Dizmo, Chile One Mr Zambia, Jay Cash, Pentagon, Cavman, Why Celeb and Orga Family, are expected to perform, underscoring how modern political campaigns increasingly blend policy messaging with popular culture to attract younger voters.

The timing is equally significant. The launch comes after several weeks in which the Tonse Alliance has generated momentum through large rallies across the Copperbelt, Central and Eastern provinces. While those gatherings have dominated sections of the online conversation, the ruling party now appears ready to answer with its own nationwide mobilisation, signalling that the contest is moving into a more competitive phase.

Unlike opposition messaging, which has largely centred on the cost of living and promises of economic change, the UPND is expected to campaign on continuity. The party has built its message around debt restructuring, free education, expanded Constituency Development Fund allocations, civil service recruitment, mining sector recovery, macroeconomic stabilisation and infrastructure investment.

The argument is straightforward: the difficult reforms have been undertaken, and a second term is needed to consolidate them.

Sunday’s launch buzz extends beyond Lusaka. It represents the moment Hichilema moves from governing to campaigning. It is also a test of whether the ruling party can translate four years of incumbency into electoral enthusiasm.

If the online mobilisation is any indication, the UPND’s traditional red base is already stirring. The question now is whether that digital momentum will translate into packed grounds, disciplined organisation and ultimately votes when Zambia heads to the polls on August 13.

© The People’s Brief  | Ollus R. Ndomu