Zambia’s 2026 Election: A High-Stakes Two-Horse Race Decided by Economic Squeeze and Drought

Tue , Aug 04 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — Zambia’s general election on August 13, 2026, represents a pivotal, alliance-driven contest that will test the country’s democratic resilience and economic direction. Although fourteen presidential candidates are officially cleared to run, the election is fundamentally a two-horse race between incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) and opposition challenger Brian Mundubile. Hichilema enters the race backed by an expanded 15-party UPND Alliance, leveraging the power of incumbency. His challenger, Mundubile—a 55-year-old lawyer, accountant, and former government chief whip—is running under the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP) banner after unifying a highly fractured opposition under the Tonse–Pamodzi Alliance. Continue reading →