🇿🇲 EXCLUSIVE | Hichilema Steps into Campaign Season, Central Province Responds
For weeks, the opposition has pushed a simple narrative: President Hakainde Hichilema is reluctant to campaign because he senses political trouble ahead.
But Wednesday’s scenes at Mulungushi University told a different story.
Long before the presidential motorcade rolled onto campus, students had already gathered in large numbers. Some climbed onto elevated platforms for a better view. Others waved placards bearing the President’s image. Medical students in white coats stood shoulder to shoulder with ordinary students as chants echoed across the university grounds. Mobile phones rose into the air. Cameras flashed.
The atmosphere felt less like a routine presidential projects inspection and more like the arrival of a candidate finally stepping onto the campaign trail.
For a President who has spent much of the past several months governing rather than campaigning, the reception carried political significance.
Officially, Hichilema was in Central Province to inspect infrastructure projects at Mulungushi University, including new student hostels and a power substation designed to improve electricity supply at the institution. The visit also included interactions with students and surrounding communities.
But politics was never far from the surface.
The crowd was young, energetic and highly engaged. Placards reading “Students for Bally,” “Youths for Bally 2026” and “Meal Allowances Kwenyu” punctuated the gathering. As the President moved through the campus, students surged forward hoping for a closer glimpse, turning what began as a development visit into one of the most visually striking political moments of the campaign season so far.
The symbolism was difficult to ignore.
Youth voters are expected to play a decisive role in the August 13 election. Many belong to a generation whose direct experience of government includes free education, expanded university bursaries, meal allowances and public sector recruitment programmes introduced during the current administration.
The university campus therefore offered more than a crowd. It offered a glimpse into a constituency both major political camps are desperately trying to win.
Speaking after the visit, President Hichilema sought to connect the enthusiasm on the ground with his government’s broader economic message.
“We are determined to ensure that the economic fundamentals we have set in motion continue to bear fruit,” he said.
Then came the clearest campaign appeal yet.
“Having stated that, we appeal to all eligible voters to vote for the UPND come August 13th, 2026.”
The remarks marked a subtle but noticeable shift. For much of the election period, Hichilema has largely remained above the daily campaign battles, leaving much of the political mobilisation to party structures and parliamentary candidates. Opposition leaders seized on this absence, arguing it reflects declining public support.
The images emerging from Central Province complicate that narrative.
Crowds alone do not determine election outcomes. They never have. Zambia’s political history is littered with packed rallies that failed to translate into votes. Nevertheless, political momentum often reveals itself through energy, confidence and voter engagement long before ballots are cast.
Wednesday’s gathering contained all three.
Central Province itself remains strategically important. Positioned at the heart of the country and historically competitive, the region often serves as a useful political barometer. Strong mobilisation in the province offers encouragement to any campaign seeking national victory.
What unfolded at Mulungushi was therefore larger than a university visit. It was the first real glimpse of Hichilema as a candidate rather than simply a sitting President.
The opposition says the race is tightening. The crowds in Central Province appeared eager to suggest otherwise.
Whether that enthusiasm endures until polling day remains the question that will define the weeks ahead.
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