Zambia Is Voting: Can the President Win Again?
Zambians are voting in their 2026 general election on Thursday, 13 August. Polls are open from 06:00 to 18:00 hrs, according to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ). President Hakainde Hichilema, who won a big victory in the 2021 election, is trying to win a second five-year term. He is running against 13 other candidates. Reuters reported that Hichilema is expected to win, but the vote will test how people feel about his handling of the economy.
Hundreds of Zambians lined up at polling stations before they even opened. One of them, 26-year-old Mwiche Nalupumbwe, told AFP that Zambians are frustrated and called the election a "50-50" contest, meaning she thinks either side could win (BBC News). That view does not match what Reuters and AP have reported, which is that Hichilema is the favourite. But her words capture how many voters on the ground feel — that the result is not a sure thing.
Hichilema's strongest challenger is Brian Mundubile, who leads a group of opposition parties that have joined together. Reuters reported in July that Mundubile may pose a strong challenge, and AP identified him as the candidate expected to give Hichilema the toughest fight. There are 14 candidates in total, which means Hichilema just needs to get more votes than anyone else — not a majority. Mundubile's alliance could help combine the votes of people who want a new leader.
At the University of Zambia, 29-year-old student James Phiri told Reuters he voted for Hichilema, nicknamed "HH", because "he cares about us" (BBC News). Phiri pointed to Hichilema's decision to bring back meal allowances — money the government gives to students to help pay for food. That policy matters a lot to younger voters in Zambia, who have a history of rallying around the issue of education funding.
The election comes after a controversial change to the rules. In December 2025, Hichilema approved a law that expanded parliament — meaning more seats for lawmakers — just months before this vote. Critics, including the local Catholic Church, said the change could help Hichilema's party in both the presidential and parliamentary contests (Reuters). The Electoral Commission of Zambia launched its 2026 General Election Roadmap on 19 July 2024 to guide the voting process (ECZ Facebook). The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) confirmed the 13 August date and polling hours.
AP reported that the election will decide whether Hichilema gets a second term based on his economic record (AP). Reuters described the vote the same way — as a judgement on how Hichilema has managed the economy (CNBC Africa). Hichilema's campaign points to things like the meal allowance as proof he is working for ordinary people. The opposition and civil society groups point to the parliament expansion as something that could make the election less fair.
The broader context here is that this vote brings together three big issues: how the economy is doing, how young people feel about their future, and whether people trust the system. Nalupumbwe's sense of a "50-50" race may not match what international news agencies are reporting, but it should not be ignored. Voter frustration with the economy is something that polls and analysts may not fully account for. The 2021 election that brought Hichilema to power was itself a rejection of a sitting president because people were unhappy with the economy. Zambia's history shows that frustration can drive unexpected turnout.
The parliament expansion adds another concern. When a ruling party changes the rules of an election months before the vote, it raises questions that go beyond whether a candidate is popular. The Catholic Church's objection means that the fairness of the process itself is at stake, especially if the result is close.
For now, the process is simple: polls close at 18:00 hrs, and counting begins under the ECZ's rules. Whether the result confirms that Hichilema is the favourite or proves the "50-50" feeling on the ground right will depend on how many people vote in areas where each side is strong, how well Mundubile's alliance pulls together opposition votes, and whether the parliament expansion changes the legislative balance in ways that affect how people view the presidential result.
