🇿🇲 EXCLUSIVE | Muchinga Roars as Hichilema Tests Orphaned Opposition Heartland
President Hakainde Hichilema’s campaign has gathered fresh momentum in the Northern Circuit after drawing large crowds across three rallies in Muchinga Province, culminating in what our correspondent described as one of the most energetic UPND gatherings witnessed in Mpika in recent years..
Hichilema began the provincial tour in Chiundaponde, Lavushimanda, before moving to Mpika and later Kanchibiya. While the opening rally established the tone, it was Mpika, late Patriotic Front founder Michael Sata’s native land that transformed the campaign into a political spectacle.
Our Northern correspondent, Mwape Nthegwa, described the atmosphere in Mpika as “electric,” saying the crowd erupted into a frenzy moments after the now-famous Bally Bear emerged onto the stage. Security officers tightened the perimeter as thousands surged forward, cheering, recording videos and waving party flags while the oversized mascot danced alongside President Hichilema.
After missing the previous rally because of technical challenges, the Bally Bear returned, this time in an unexpected brown colour instead of its familiar white, instantly becoming the centre of attention.
But under the theatre lay a more significant political story.
Mpika has long occupied an important place in PF history. For the governing UPND to command such attendance there reflects an expanding organisational footprint inside a province widely regarded as part of the opposition’s traditional heartlands.
Campaign crowds are not election results, but they remain one of the clearest indicators of organisational reach. The UPND appears to be demonstrating that it can mobilise beyond its conventional support base, making the electoral map increasingly competitive.
Addressing supporters in Mpika, President Hichilema pledged continued investment in roads, agriculture and social programmes.
“The urban, peri-urban and rural roads in Mpika remain top on our agenda. Free education will continue because it is now law. Social Cash Transfer, Cash for Work, improved agriculture and many more good things will continue pouring into Mpika,” he told supporters.
He also contrasted the current political environment with previous election cycles.
“No more violence. No more cadres harassing women in markets. Together we shall continue making Mpika even better.”
The campaign then shifted to Kanchibiya, where another sizeable crowd welcomed the President. Once regarded as dependable PF territory, the constituency presented a noticeably different political picture.
Supporters dressed almost entirely in UPND colours filled the venue, prompting many local observers to remark that the constituency increasingly resembles a competitive battleground rather than a predictable opposition stronghold. The area’s former PF Member of Parliament is now contesting on the UPND ticket, adding another layer to the province’s evolving political landscape.
There, President Hichilema urged residents to consolidate what he described as recent development gains.
“Together, let’s protect the gains made. Together let’s continue delivering for all. Your vote this August will help us continue building a stronger and better Kanchibiya,” he said.
The Muchinga campaign also answers, at least symbolically, one question that had circulated widely over the weekend.
Opposition figures had jokingly suggested the UPND would struggle to attract crowds in the Northern Circuit without transporting supporters from its perceived strongholds. The scenes witnessed in Lavushimanda, Mpika and Kanchibiya instead showed large numbers of local residents lining roads, filling grounds and engaging throughout the day.
Whether those crowds ultimately translate into votes remains the defining question for polling day.
For now, however, Muchinga is no longer a province where only one political voice is being heard. It is becoming contested ground. And in a presidential election where regional margins may determine the national outcome, that shift could prove one of the campaign’s most important developments.
© The People’s Brief | Gathering —Mwape Nthegwa; Reporting —Ollus R. Ndomu