Divisions in Livingstone are killing UPND, says Sensele
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
INFIGHTING and divisions in the UPND have forced me to offer myself for 2026 Livingstone parliamentary elections, says Paul Sensele.
He says divisions in Livingstone is killing the ruling party “where I belong. I want President Hakainde Hichilema to retain his seat in 2026 using a winning team of parliamentary candidates”.
Asked over the Grade 12 qualification clause, Sensele said his qualification was the Zambian people.
“I can meet with technocrats and be able to adjust and adapt to their standard. I can meet with street vendors and adapt. For the little time I saved as district commissioner I made a big mark. I made a grade. I lost my job but not brains. And I know I still have brains to foster unity and development,” Sensele said. “I have the passion for the people of Livingstone and there is no problem which I am not aware of in the city.”
The former Livingstone district commissioner under the Michael Sata administration said he has the experience to take Livingstone out of its current problems.
“There is a leadership crisis in Livingstone. The UPND is divided between the mayor [Constance Muleabai] and the MP [Rodney Sikumba]. I have been forced to announce my interntions to stand in 2026 for area member of parliament on the UPND ticket,” Sensele said.
He warned against being underrated.
“There are people that underrate me but it’s not the first time I have been underrated. When I draw you back to history I was underrated in 2011 when I stood as a councillor in Akapelwa ward and I ended up receiving the highest number of votes in the province as a councillor for PF. And I did stand in an area of intellectuals. I was voted for by senior military men and women, medical doctors and also street vendors as my ward included the main business district,” Sensele said. “I know all the challenges that you (Livingstone residents) are facing and I offer myself for MP in 2026.”
He said he has faced a lot of calls from his family members especially his mother “to stop politics”.
“But I want to tell my mother that I belong to a bigger family which is Livingstone. I have passion for the city of Livingstone,” Sensele said.
He also indicated that it is not only in Livingstone where he can win comfortably stating that he can also win in Mkushi, Kabushi and Kapiri Mposhi.
“I have properties in all these areas and I stayed in Kaundula and parts of Kapiri. But what I have seen in Livingstone are divisions that is killing the ruling party where I belong. I want President Hakainde Hichilema to retain his seat in 2026 using a winning team of parliamentary candidates and for me Livingstone is a clean game,” Sensele said.
He said divisions in the UPND have also been made worse with the absence of coordination between the UPND and the office of the DC.
“I want to come and unite the UPND, and also help unite it with the MMD and the PF. I can do it because I personally come from MMD and when I saw disunity I left to join the PF. And because of disunity I left to join the NDC and the same disunity in NDC made me join UPND,” said Sensele. “I mean business.”