Zambia Politics Explained, Who Holds Power in 2026

ZAMBIA · POLITICS

Zambia politics in October 2026 rests on President Hakainde Hichilema, who won a second term in August and commands a large majority in parliament. His copper-exporting country is negotiating a US$1.472 billion IMF programme while prosecuting its main opposition leader for treason.

This guide to Zambia names who holds power and what remains unsettled.

How Zambia Politics Works

Zambia is a presidential republic, and its constitution makes the president head of state, head of government and commander-in-chief. Zambians fill that office in a general election every five years, on the second Thursday of August.

A candidate needs more than half of the valid votes to win outright; otherwise the top two go to a runoff within 37 days. A person who has twice held the presidency is not eligible to stand again, which means Hichilema cannot run in 2031.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), the independent body that runs elections, counted 8,786,300 registered voters in 226 constituencies. Its chairperson is Mwangala Zaloumis, and its chief electoral officer is Brown Kasaro.

Zambia politics in 2026 was shaped by late rule changes. Constitutional Amendment Act No. 13 of 2025 added seats and a proportional tier months before polling, says the Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

Observer missions from the European Union, the Southern African Development Community and the African Union raised concerns about those late changes, the ISS reports. The Zambia explainer covers the country’s wider background.

The President and His Inner Circle

Hakainde Hichilema leads the UPND and has held the presidency since 2021. The ECZ declared him re-elected on 18 August 2026 with about 60.5% of the vote, according to the Institute for Security Studies.

He was sworn in at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka on 1 September 2026. Vice-President Mutale Nalumango, his running mate, kept her post and was still in office in mid-October 2026.

On 9 October 2026 Hichilema opened the new parliament with the Grow Zambia Agenda, a five-year plan to more than double the economy. Its yearly targets include 3 million tonnes of copper and US$1 billion in beef exports, according to Mwebantu, a Zambian news outlet.

The State House Team

On 22 October 2026 State House re-appointed seven presidential advisers, using powers in Article 92 of the constitution. Bradford Machila is principal private secretary, and Christopher Mundia advises on legal affairs.

Levy Ngoma covers political affairs, Jito Kayumba finance and investments, and Dr Pamela Nakamba economic affairs. Dr Lawrence Mwananyanda handles projects and national security, Joseph Lungu handles policy compliance, and Clayson Hamasaka speaks for State House.

The Cabinet and Key Ministers

On 14 September 2026 Hichilema swore in the first four ministers of his second term. Situmbeko Musokotwane returned as Minister of Finance and National Planning, and Mulambo Haimbe became Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Gilbert Siame took the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, and Professor Roma Chilengi became Minister of Health. Hichilema told them to deliver results under the Grow Zambia Agenda and to respect collective responsibility, according to Mwebantu.

As of 22 October 2026 no further ministers had been named, and several posts were vacant, News Diggers reported. State House says government continues to function, and State House spokesman Clayson Hamasaka says it has not delayed the appointments.

The cabinet by law includes the president, the vice-president, the ministers and the attorney-general. Mulilo Kabesha is attorney-general, the government’s chief legal adviser, and Gilbert Phiri is director of public prosecutions, the chief prosecutor.

Parliament and the Ruling Party’s Majority

Zambia’s National Assembly is the law-making body. The new house has 226 elected members, up from 156, plus 40 proportional seats for women, youth and people with disabilities.

The president may also nominate up to 11 members.

By 24 August 2026 the ISS counted 138 UPND constituency wins and 60 for the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP), Mundubile’s party.

Only two of the 13 parties that contested qualified for the proportional seats, the ECZ says. The NRPUP submitted only eight names, so the commission gave the unfilled seats to the UPND.

The UPND received 32 of the 40 proportional seats, News Diggers reported. Zaloumis denied favouritism on 15 October 2026.

Nelly Mutti, a Lusaka lawyer and the first woman to hold the post, was re-elected unopposed as Speaker on 2 October 2026.

The Opposition and the Treason Case

Brian Mundubile, the NRPUP candidate, led the Tonse Alliance, which inherited many strongholds of the former ruling Patriotic Front, according to the ISS. On 20 October 2026 Speaker Mutti recognised NRPUP president Ezra Tembo as Leader of the Opposition.

She named Milenge member Chonde as party whip and Paul Lungu as deputy whip. A dispute inside the party followed after Stephen Kampyongo, the member for Shiwang’andu, said fellow members had elected him instead, News Diggers reported.

On 14 August 2026, the day after the vote, security forces raided a property in Lusaka, and former transport minister Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot dead. Eleven people were arrested on suspicion of holding military-grade weapons for an armed insurrection, which Mundubile denies.

Mundubile, Makebi Zulu and 16 others are held as treason suspects at Mukobeko prison in Kabwe.

They have asked the High Court for constitutional bail, News Diggers reported on 20 October 2026.

On 22 October 2026 the state and the defence agreed to add Director of Public Prosecutions Gilbert Phiri to the bail case. The accused have not been tried and are presumed innocent.

Courts, Security Forces and the Electoral Commission

Chief Justice Mumba Malila heads the judiciary, and Professor Margaret Munalula presides over the Constitutional Court, which settles election and constitutional disputes. In August 2026 that court ruled the Auditor General’s appointment unconstitutional because of his age, News Diggers reported.

Between 24 and 27 August 2026 the government closed the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and other court premises, citing security concerns.

Rights lawyer Linda Kasonde then emailed an election petition to the chief justice, who called the method highly irregular, African Arguments reported from her account.

The Chapter One Foundation has asked the Constitutional Court to declare the closures unlawful, and African Arguments reported no ruling by 9 October 2026. Human Rights Watch called the closures a denial of access to justice.

Lieutenant General Geoffrey Zyeele commands the Zambia Army, and Maambo Hamaundu is permanent secretary at the Defence Ministry, News Diggers reported on 16 October 2026. In June 2026 civil society groups argued that the army has no mandate to keep internal order.

The Zambia Police Service answers to an inspector general. On 4 October 2026 News Diggers reported, citing police sources, that Hichilema had dismissed Deputy Inspector General Charity Munganga.

Provinces, Chiefs and Local Councils

Zambia has 10 provinces and 116 districts, and the president appoints a provincial minister from among members of parliament to run each province’s administration. The constitution provides no elected governors, so provincial power flows from State House.

Voters elect councillors, and mayors and council chairpersons stood in the same August 2026 vote, the ECZ says.

The constitution also creates a House of Chiefs with five traditional leaders from each province. The House advises the National Assembly on development and decides matters of customary law, though it holds no executive power.

Rising Figures to Watch

Hichilema cannot seek a third term, so Zambia politics will turn to who shapes the UPND after 2031.

• Roma Chilengi, health minister, said on 6 October 2026 that a US$1.5 billion health agreement with the United States had been revised to drop a specimen-sharing clause, according to Mwebantu.
• Situmbeko Musokotwane, finance minister, announced the staff-level IMF deal on 9 October 2026 and is the government’s main voice on debt and growth.
• Ezra Tembo leads the opposition benches, and Chonde is his party whip.
• Nelly Mutti, speaker since 2021, decides who counts as opposition leader and was re-elected unopposed on 2 October 2026.

What It Means for US Readers

Zambia politics now offers Washington a re-elected government that controls parliament. Zambia and the United States have agreed a revised text of a US$1.5 billion health agreement, Mwebantu reported on 6 October 2026.

Zambia is also seeking a 36-month IMF programme worth US$1.472 billion that needs board approval, according to Mwebantu. The IMF projects 5.6% growth for 2026, and annual inflation was 6.1% in September 2026, the Zambia Statistics Agency says.

The ISS says Hichilema begins his last term with a stronger mandate and fewer institutional checks. Copper is central to the Grow Zambia Agenda, which sets a target of 3 million tonnes a year.

For regional context see the neighbours guide and the election result.

What Is Not Known

No date has been given for filling the remaining ministerial posts,. The identity of the full cabinet will shape how fast policy moves.

The High Court bail hearing for Mundubile and the 17 others is continuing, and no trial date is known. The Constitutional Court had not ruled on the Chapter One Foundation’s challenge to the court closures by 9 October 2026.

The IMF board has not approved the new programme, and the Tonse Alliance’s secretary-general has threatened legal action over the proportional seats. Who will lead the UPND after Hichilema’s last term is also unknown, and Zambia politics offers no clear answer yet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the president of Zambia in 2026?

Hakainde Hichilema of the UPND is president, and Zambia politics now centres on him. He was sworn in for a second five-year term on 1 September 2026.

Who is the vice-president of Zambia?

Mutale Nalumango is vice-president and was Hichilema’s running mate in 2026. Under the constitution she is also leader of government business in parliament.

How strong is the ruling party in parliament?

The UPND holds a large majority in the 277-seat National Assembly, with 138 constituency wins counted by the ISS as of 24 August 2026. The ECZ also gave it 32 of the 40 proportional seats.

Who leads the opposition in Zambia politics?

Ezra Tembo of the NRPUP was recognised as Leader of the Opposition on 20 October 2026. Brian Mundubile, the party’s presidential candidate, is in custody facing a treason charge.

Has the full Zambian cabinet been named?

No. News Diggers reported on 22 October 2026 that only four ministers had been appointed: Musokotwane, Haimbe, Siame and Chilengi.

Can Hichilema run again in 2031?

No. The constitution bars anyone who has twice held the presidency from standing again, so his second term is his last.

Sources: Electoral Commission of Zambia, home page and election figures, 2026-10-22; Constitution of Zambia (as amended 2016), full text, 2026-10-22; Zambia Statistics Agency, September 2026 inflation, 2026-10-22; Institute for Security Studies, Hichilema wins a stronger mandate, 2026-08-24; Mwebantu, Hichilema appoints 4 ministers, 2026-09-14; Mwebantu, Speaker Mutti announces Ezra Tembo as leader of the opposition, 2026-10-20; Mwebantu, Nelly Mutti re-elected unopposed as Speaker, 2026-10-02; Mwebantu, ECZ defends redistribution of PR seats, 2026-10-15; Mwebantu, Hichilema unveils Grow Zambia Agenda, 2026-10-09; Mwebantu, President Hichilema re-appoints presidential advisory team, 2026-10-22; Mwebantu, Zambia reaches staff-level agreement with IMF, 2026-10-10; News Diggers, DPP joins Mundubile’s bail case, 2026-10-22; News Diggers, Mundubile and 17 others appear before High Court, 2026-10-20; News Diggers, Govt is still running despite vacant ministerial positions, 2026-10-22; African Arguments, How Zambia defeated an election petition, 2026-10-09; World Bank, total population of Zambia, 2026-10-08; News Diggers, ECZ insists seats go to UPND, 2026-10-15; News Diggers, Nalumango on street vendors, 2026-10-14; Mwebantu, Govt removes specimen-sharing clause from US$1.5bn health MoU, 2026-10-06; Mwebantu, Hichilema sworn in for second term, 2026-09-01; Judiciary of Zambia, President of the Constitutional Court, 2026-10-22; News Diggers, Govt calls for stronger regional cooperation on security, 2026-10-16; Zambia Monitor, Musokotwane and Haimbe return as ministers, 2026-09-14.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief