Hon. Given Katuta Announces 2026 Presidential Candidacy

Hon. Given Katuta Announces 2026 Presidential Candidacy(Independent)

1. Opening Statement
Good morning, fellow citizens and members of the press. I stand before you today not as a politician seeking position, but as a mother, a legislator, and a Zambian citizen answering the call to serve.

After months of listening to our people, reflecting, and praying, I have made a bold but necessary decision. I am officially declaring my intention to run for President of the Republic of Zambia in 2026 as an Independent Candidate.

2. Why I Am Standing
Zambia stands at a crossroads. The dreams of 2021 have faded. Hope has turned to hardship. Our people are crying for leadership that is not tied to party agendas, but to the people’s real needs.

I am standing as an independent because the political party system is broken. It has become a place of betrayal, confusion, and corruption. Zambia needs a fresh, fearless, and people-powered presidency.

3. National Challenges We Must Confront
We cannot pretend anymore. Let us speak plainly. These are the battles our people are facing every day:

1. High cost of living – Food, fuel, and rentals have become unaffordable.

2. Youth unemployment – Our graduates are walking the streets with empty pockets and broken dreams.

3. National debt – We are borrowing to survive, not to build.

4. Kwacha instability – Our currency is collapsing; prices rise as wages stand still.

5. Power shortages – Load shedding is killing business and family life.

6. Corruption – Leaders preach integrity but practice theft.

7. Broken public services – Our clinics have no medicine; our schools have no desks.

8. Farmer neglect – No inputs, low prices, and late payments have frustrated our food producers.

9. Limited freedom of expression – Citizens are afraid to speak out; arrests are used to silence.

10. Gender exclusion – Women remain spectators in a game they must help lead.

Zambia cannot wait for another 5 or 10 years. The time to act is now.

4. My Track Record
As MP for Chienge, I have never wavered. I have stood firm in Parliament even when I stood alone. I have fought for women, for children, for forgotten rural communities. I have exposed injustice and spoken truth without fear. I did not cross the floor. I stood on principle.

5. The Independent Path
This campaign is not about power. It is about people. I am standing with widows, single mothers, marketeers, unemployed youth, and betrayed patriots.

We will not be bankrolled by cartels. We will be carried by communities. This is a movement of citizens, not politicians.

6. A Call to Women and the Youth
I am a woman who has walked through fire and refused to be silenced. If we want to change Zambia, women must rise. Not just to clap at rallies, but to lead from the front.

This campaign is a call to every girl who dreams, every mother who struggles, and every woman who has been told ‘you can’t.’

To the youth: stop waiting for leaders. Become the leaders. Walk with me. Work with me. Let’s claim this country back—together.

CLOSING STATEMENT

Zambia is not for sale. Zambia is not for parties. Zambia is for Zambians.

I am not a perfect woman, but I am a prepared woman. I am not part of a cartel. I am part of the people.

In 2026, we don’t just need a new President—we need a new direction.

Let us walk this journey together. Let us do what others say is impossible.

Thank you. May God bless Zambia and her beautiful, brave people.