🇿🇲 EXCLUSIVE | Hichilema Closes Muchinga Tour, Campaign Pushes Deeper into Northern Circuit
President Hakainde Hichilema on Wednesday concluded an intensive campaign tour of Muchinga Province, wrapping up his engagements with a rally in Chinsali, the provincial capital, after taking the UPND message through Nakonde, Mafinga, Isoka, Mpika, Kanchibiya and Lavushimanda in what has become one of the ruling party’s most significant political offensives into Zambia’s Northern Circuit.
As this report was being filed, the President was concluding his address before supporters who had gathered in large numbers, bringing to a close a campaign that tested the UPND’s organisational strength in a province long regarded as part of the Patriotic Front’s political heartland.
For political observers, Muchinga was never expected to be an easy province. It has historically leaned towards the PF and now forms part of the electoral corridor where the Tonse Alliance hopes to build its presidential challenge.
But the turnout witnessed throughout the tour suggests the governing party has established a visible presence in territory once considered politically difficult.
From Nakonde, where thousands welcomed the President alongside traditional leaders led by Her Royal Highness Chieftainess Nawaitwika, to the electric atmosphere in Mpika, and the sea of red that greeted the campaign in Kanchibiya, the tour consistently produced scenes that challenged long-held assumptions about the province’s political landscape.
Our Northern Circuit Correspondent, Mwape Nthegwa, described the Mpika rally as “electric,” with excitement reaching its peak when the now-famous Bally Bear appeared on stage after missing an earlier rally because of technical challenges.
Security officers tightened the cordon as supporters surged forward, while families, schoolchildren and elderly residents joined in singing, dancing and recording the moment on their mobile phones. The mascot, now a recognised feature of the UPND campaign, even appeared in a new brown outfit, drawing almost as much attention as the speeches themselves.
Beyond the colour and spectacle, the President maintained a consistent message throughout the province. Free education, the School Feeding Programme, increased Constituency Development Fund allocations, rural roads, health facilities, clean water, electricity, mobile network expansion and agricultural support dominated his engagements.
The themes resonated particularly strongly in rural communities, where many families have directly experienced the impact of expanded access to education and social programmes.
Addressing supporters during the tour, Hichilema repeatedly urged voters to protect what he described as the gains achieved since 2021.
“We are determined to continue delivering development for you all. Do not look back. Forward ever,” he told supporters in Isoka.
In Nakonde, he reflected on the country’s economic direction, saying the first term had focused on stabilising Zambia’s economy while laying the foundation for faster development in the years ahead.
The tour, however, concluded under a different national mood. While the President was finalising his rally in Isoka, news emerged of the death of former Vice President Dr Guy Lindsay Scott at the age of 82.
Shortly afterwards, President Hichilema briefly suspended the day’s political messaging to issue a national tribute, describing Dr Scott as “a true Zambian patriot” who guided the country through a constitutional transition following the death of President Michael Sata in 2014.
The Government has since accorded the former Vice President a State Funeral.
The timing brought an unexpected pause to an otherwise energetic day of campaigning, reminding the nation that even in the heat of an election, moments of national reflection transcend political competition.
© The People’s Brief | Ollus R. Ndomu