BM8t Podcast outing self-backfires
….as Brian Mundubile’s policy gaps exposed
By DAVID KANDUZA
OPPOSITION National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) presidential candidate Brian Mundubile has again for a second time in a week received a public media backlash for lacking a clear economic focus and detailed alternative policies during the weekend when he appeared on his BM8 Unfiltered podcast, a political and current affairs show.
Mr Mundubile uses the platform to discuss national issues, the economy and his political campaigns.
Last week Mr Mundubile when he appeared on a Podcast called Zambia Goes to the Polls 2026, was criticised for lacking economic solutions as a breaking point in public patience.
He instead disclosed that his political campaigns for the presidency required vast financial resources to build nationwide operations and sustain competitive momentum.
Mr Mundubile who is running as a presidential aspiring candidate for the first time said he was faced with a sharp reality from transitioning from local prominence to a full-scale national campaign.
He said campaign activities had failed to generate the excitement seen in the previous election cycles because of lack of finances by aspiring candidates ahead of the general elections on August 13, 2026.
“In 2021 and 2016 around this time, the activity levels were much higher. People were excited in the streets, dancing and campaigning. The mood now is very different,” he said.
Mr Mundubile instead of taking advantage of his BM8 Podcast heavily criticised President Hakainde Hichilema rather than presenting concrete economic alternatives to woo voters.
The NRPUP leader said the economic situation in the country had left him with other aspiring candidates without the resources needed to run vibrant campaigns.
“We don’t have money to spend, including other candidates. A lot of candidates actually have money to spend because there is simply no money in the economy,” he said.
Mr Mundubile, however, hoped that his party’s political campaign activities would increase as polling day nears.
“We and other aspiring candidates will likely mobilise more resources and supporters will gain confidence to participate more openly,” he said.
Mr Mundubile who thought he would have it easily faces reality running for presidency as his party requires shifting from expensive, traditional media to low-cost, high-impact grassroots and digital strategies.
Mark Mwaaba, a Ndola based political expert suggested that Mr Mundubile would face a severe funding shortage, as he must leverage alternative resource-gathering models and lean heavily into crowd-driven momentum to maintain a viable campaign footprint.
Mr Mwaaba said Mr Mundubile was faced with immense governing, managing resources and maintaining a national network after an initial wave of public enthusiasm.
He said Mr Mundubile should engage with political crowdfunding, national development funds and community mobilisation networks for him to succeed in his campaigns
“I don’t think he will manage to reach out to all parts of the country coupled with him not being a popular candidate,” Mr Mwaaba said.
But his supporters have insisted that despite him and his coalition criticising President Hichilema rather than presenting a viable, detailed alternative economic blueprint, view Mr Mundubile as a pragmatic leader who would offer the much-needed economic relief from the country’s high cost of living.