UPND subs Kantenga, goes for Muunda in Chawama by-election
LESS than 24 hours after being announced as UPND’s Chawama parliamentary candidate, Timothy Kantenga has been dropped, with Morgan Muunda stepping in at the last minute as the preferred candidate.
This follows Kantenga’s technical disqualification during the verification of Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) requirements which revealed that aspiring candidate became a registered voter last year and his name does not appear on the current Chawama voter’s poll.
According to UPND chairperson for elections and campaigns Gary Nkombo, the party acted swiftly to avoid potential procedural challenges ahead of the by-election.
Nkombo explained that the decision was taken in the best interest of the party and to ensure compliance with electoral rules
“We have all just been going through the voter registration, and after the pronouncement and upon verification of documents, we then discovered that he is indeed a voter but was only registered…last year, which means his name is not contained in the current voters’ roll, presenting a disqualification,” Nkombo said.
He extended an apology for the oversight to the public.
“We spoke with the candidate and he graciously bowed down, which is why he is here this afternoon to offer solidarity to the next person we have settled for.”
“Allow me to officially announce the variation we have made as UPND: the party will use Morgan Muunda as the one to carry the UPND flag in this competition,” Nkombo said.
Nkombo stressed that according to the ECZ, only individuals who are registered voters in Chawama, whose names appear on the current voters’ roll, and who participated in the 2021 General Elections in the constituency, are qualified to contest the by-election.
Kantenga then publicily endorsed Muunda, urging party members and supporters to rally behind him.
“As you heard yesterday in my acceptance speech, I did say that we are disciples of our President and as a party, we are not void or devoid of leaders. It is for this reason that I endorse Muunda as incoming MP for Chawama constituency,” he said.
And accepting the nomination, Muunda thanked the part for their confidence and promised to focus on addressing the pressing community issues.
“My priorities will include improving access to clean water and sanitation, and ensuring the effective utilisation of the K40 million Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to improve the livelihoods of the people,” stated Muunda.
By Sharon Zulu
Kalemba December 16, 2025