HH sweeps through Lusaka rural
…slams door on opposition comeback while weaponising free education policy and peace agenda
By DAVID KANDUZA
PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema’s high-octane convoy rolled aggressively through the outskirt districts of Lusaka Province.
Fresh off sweeping tours through the Copperbelt and Eastern Province, President Hichilema brought his signature energy to massive crowds in Luangwa, Rufunsa and Chongwe.
Ground structures vibrated with dynamic ululations, party songs and sea-of-red UPND regalia.
In Luangwa, Mr Hichilema wasted no time laying out his developmental checklist, pointing directly to expanded rural road networks, new clinics, improved cell phones connectivity and active measures resolving human-animal conflicts in the area.
Taking the podium, the President delivered a punchy, unyielding warning against his political rivals.
He reminded the packed rallies of the political violence that plagued the country before his tenure, drawing a sharp contrast with the peace restored under the New Dawn Government.
“You must be annoyed as you go to vote, there is no Alebwelelapo (no coming back for the former regime). I am already here,” President Hichilema declared to deafening cheers.
He highlighted how ordinary citizens once faced discrimination and thuggery in public markets and bus stations.
Mr Hichilema directly at the security details stationed at the rally, stating: “There is no more teargas. These police officers are now your friends.”
He warned Lusaka Province voters not to fracture the national consensus by electing fragmented opposition or independent candidates.
The President asserted that other provinces had already consolidated behind the UPND banner.
While the opposition targets public anxieties over cost-of-living challenges, Mr Hichilema leaned heavily on his headline achievements.
In Rufunsa, the President repeatedly championed the Free Education Policy which had successfully returned more than 2.5 million Zambian children to classrooms.
Mr Hichilema framed the programme not just as a social cushion, but as an aggressive, long-term economic investment.
To address localised rural grievances, the President promised an enhanced Farmer’s Input Support Programme (FISP) to boost agricultural output.
He also energised the crowds by teasing upcoming cattle loans aimed directly at empowering local livestock farmers.
With the opposition currently bogged down in factional battles and legal disputes in Lusaka, Mr Hichilema was using the streets to dictate the terms of the 2026 race.
Backed by a unified UPND Alliance, the ruling party’s grassroots machinery was firing on all cylinders.
As the sun set on Chongwe, the message left behind was clear and uncompromising: the work to transform Zambia and the UPND intends to keep a firm grip on the steering wheel.