HH positioned as strong front-runner
…..but battle ground of the 2026 cycle to play out in tightly contested parliamentary and local government races
By DAVID KANDUZA
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema is this afternoon scheduled to file his official presidential nomination papers to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka.
The filing will formally cement his place as the United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate for the upcoming general election on August 13, 2026.
Political analysts, governance experts and multiple independent opinion polls project that Mr Hichilema maintains a strong upper hand in securing a second term.
The official election timeline set by the ECZ has reached a major milestone this week, with presidential candidate nominations running from May 18 to May 22.
Mr Hichilema benefits significantly from the traditional advantages of holding an office. His administration receives public credit for stabilising key national sectors, introducing free primary and secondary education, expanding local development via the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and enacting crucial legislation like the Access to Information Act.
The primary dynamic working in Mr Hichilema’s favour is the failure of Zambia’s opposition parties to form a single, cohesive coalition.
Some independent analysis indicates that because the opposition vote is heavily split among various figures—such as Tonse Alliance leader Brian Mundubile and Citizens First leader Harry Kalaba—Mr Hichilema’s path to a first-round victory is highly reinforced.
While tracking popularity is complex, consecutive digital and localised public opinion polls conducted throughout early 2026 consistently show Mr Hichilema capturing between 51and 60 per cent of projected voter preferences in head-to-head matchups.
Despite his leading position, the upcoming vote functions as a critical referendum on his economic stewardship.
Mr Hichilema early today posted on his Facebook page encouraging citizens to turn up and witness the filling of his papers as a presidential candidate for the UPND.
“Later today we will file our nomination as a candidate to be your President and in twelve weeks, our nation will go to the polls. The choice we face is not simply one between parties or personalities. It is a choice about who we are, what we are building together and what kind of country we want to leave to our children,” he wrote.
Mr Hichilema emphasized that elections were a choice between two Zambias-the one being built and the one left behind.
“Between a nation rising and a nation in retreat. Between a harvest delivered, and a field abandoned. Five years ago we planted seeds into hard ground. We planted them in a treasury that had been emptied. We planted them in classrooms without children and clinics without medicine. We planted them in mines and factories that had fallen silent, in homes where workers had been sent away without pay. We planted them where national hope had begun to wither,” he said.
The President said those seeds were sprouting and that a harvest was ready and waiting to be delivered.
“Children are studying diligently to become our skilled workers of tomorrow. Investment secured is adding megawatts to the national grid week by week. Cash for Work is putting wages in the pockets of Zambians so they can feed their families. CDF is rebuilding communities across the country, providing new facilities, skills training and a whole lot more
“It has not been easy, but it is important to remember just how far we’ve come. We have faced everything from a historic drought to global conflict, navigating destabilised supply chains and erratic markets as we worked day and night to return the economy to solid ground, ground where we could build a brighter future and nurture a better tomorrow.
“Yet, despite these challenges, the numbers speak for themselves. They tell the story of what we have achieved with hard work, perseverance and unity. Today we have 2.6 million more children in school, with the school feeding programme reaching 4.7 million. CDF is up from K1.6 million in 2021 to K40 million in 2026. An additional 282 health facilities have been constructed and 18,000 health workers recruited. 700 MW has been added to the national grid with more coming online. 109,488 jobs created and $16.4 billion in investments actualised.
“There is still much more that can be done and we firmly believe that our best days lie ahead. But, if we are going to deliver on this harvest, then we need to deliver on it together, as one nation. We must put our differences aside and pool our efforts.We need to ensure that development is felt in every corner of our Republic; from Mpulungu to Livingstone; from Mwami in Chipata to Sikongo in Kalabo, and across all communities along our lakes, rivers and Islands.
“We must deliver this harvest peacefully. Zambia is more than a country. We are a family. And families do not raise their hands against one another. Our reputation as a beacon of democracy,peace and stability on this continent is not an accident of history. It is a conscious choice we individually and collectively make, election after election. We must make it again now.
“For this to happen, two things are essential. Firstly, there must be zero tolerance for violence on any side, and the law must be applied firmly, fairly and without favour to all, regardless of political affiliation or social standing. Every voter should be free to wear their regalia, play their campaign songs and canvass without being subject to violence or intimidation.
“Secondly, we must all play our part in promoting a healthy exchange of ideas and discussions on policy and vision, rather than allowing personal attacks and slander to prevail. The next twelve weeks are an opportunity for us to debate the challenges we face, the opportunities before us, and how we want to shape the future of our nation. To think about the future that we want to create for those children who will graduate from free education in the years to come, those babies saved by the newly recruited health workers in the maternity annexes now dotted around the country, and those youths are learning new vocational skills through CDF. Not to tear each other down, score points or take for granted the freedoms we have built and defended together.
“The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher, for our nation, the Republic of Zambia and our posterity.
“No farmer walks away at harvest time. No mother forgets the children she has fed. And no nation, having come this far through such storms, turns back now.
“So let’s go forward with unity in our hearts and conviction in our spirit. Together, let’s deliver Zambia’s harvest,” the President wrote.Morning
The Hichilema administration faced public pressure regarding a high cost of living, steep prices for basic foods like mealie-meal, severe domestic droughts and energy deficits.
In conclusion while governance activists point out that Mr Hichilema’s return to State House appears secure, the true battleground of the 2026 cycle is expected to play out in tightly contested parliamentary and local government races across the country.