UPND Secures Kawambwa Central Parliamentary Seat Amidst Controversy
The United Party for National Development (UPND) has clinched the Kawambwa Central Constituency parliamentary seat in a by-election marked by both celebration and contention.
Musonda Nason, representing the UPND, secured victory with 5,519 votes, surpassing his closest rival, Mwansa Danston of the Tonse Alliance, who garnered 3,896 votes.
Kapampwe Kennedy of the Socialist Party (SP) followed with 1,501 votes, while Chomba Kennedy of the United Progressive People’s Party (UPPPZ) and Bwalya Peter of the Movement for Change and Empowerment (M4CE) received 185 and 68 votes, respectively.
This by-election was necessitated by the incarceration of the former Member of Parliament, Nickson Chilangwa. In July 2024, the Kawambwa Magistrate Court sentenced Chilangwa to
five years of imprisonment with hard labour after finding him guilty of malicious damage to property. The charges stemmed from an incident during the 2021 General Election, where
Chilangwa, along with others, was accused of burning a vehicle belonging to the UPND Luapula Youth Committee.
Despite the UPND’s victory, the electoral process was overshadowed by allegations of malpractice and incidents of violence. Opposition parties and local observers reported
instances of voter intimidation, vote-buying, and disruptions at polling stations. These claims have raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process, prompting
calls for thorough investigations and reforms to uphold democratic principles.
While the UPND may view this victory as a consolidation of its political influence, it serves as a reminder that success in a by-election does not guarantee future triumphs.
The general elections slated for 2026 present a different and more formidable challenge, with a broader electorate and heightened scrutiny. The party must address the allegations
arising from this by-election and work towards ensuring transparency and fairness in all electoral processes.
As Musonda Nason prepares to assume his role as the representative for Kawambwa Central, it is imperative for the UPND to reflect on the controversies surrounding this election.
Addressing the concerns raised will be crucial in building public trust and demonstrating a commitment to democratic ideals. The upcoming general elections will undoubtedly be a
more complex arena, and the lessons learned from this by-election should inform the party’s strategies moving forward.
The Kawambwa Central by-election highlights both the strengths and challenges within Zambia’s democratic framework. While the UPND’s victory adds to its parliamentary
representation, the allegations of malpractice and violence underscore the need for electoral reforms and vigilance in safeguarding democratic processes. As the nation looks ahead
to the 2026 general elections, all political stakeholders must prioritize integrity, transparency, and the well-being of the electorate to ensure a truly representative governance.
Makasa Luchembe
Its interesting to note that UPND while in opposition won almost all by-elections in its perceived strongholds. UPND even went into an alliance with PF rebel Kambwili’s NDC and grabbed the Roan constituency seat from PF in a by-election.
This serves the opposition well because they are still fragmented, how does the UPND alliance comprising of the underperforming UPND itself through a collapsing economy in alliance with ADD which has two people and a non existing MMD beat them. Of course socialist party is not a team player but with reported vote buying by the winner and your fragmentation you stand no chance. If there is vote buying but you are a united front, you have a chance.
Those UPND thugs in picture looks like PF, even the culture of fi white flour is PFsh. Dirty idyots.
If UPND indeed engaged in election malpractice, they would go down the MMD/PF path once outta power. That’s the recipe they are creating for themselves now.
In 2021, when they lost political power, the PF were just from stealing a constituency bye election. We are used to these thefts. Except that we thought this time it will be AMELIORATED by Akainde.