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KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 — Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has been reelected for a second five-year term after securing a decisive victory in the country’s presidential election. The Electoral Commission of Zambia officially declared him president-elect on August 18.
Hichilema won 61.4% of approximately five million votes cast, giving him an outright majority and eliminating the need for a second-round runoff. He received 2,965,326 votes, while his closest rival, opposition leader Brian Mundubile, secured 1,856,217 votes.
The election was closely watched after the counting process was temporarily suspended following reported attacks on polling officials and the theft of some ballot papers. Counting later resumed under heightened security.
Several senior opposition figures were also arrested on election night, with authorities accusing them of posing threats to state security. Mundubile said police raided his home, an incident he described as an attack on his life.
Hichilema first came to power in 2021 and has focused heavily on rebuilding Zambia’s economy following the country’s debt crisis. During his first term, his government oversaw the restructuring of sovereign debt while working to control inflation and stabilise the national currency.
International observers said voting was largely peaceful, but the European Union observation mission raised concerns over restrictions on fundamental freedoms, late legal changes and unequal campaign conditions that affected the wider electoral environment.
Zambia’s Catholic bishops also questioned the deployment of the military during vote counting, arguing that maintaining order during elections should primarily remain the responsibility of the police.
Hichilema’s victory gives him another five years to continue his economic reform programme while facing pressure to strengthen democratic institutions, create jobs and ensure Zambia’s economic recovery delivers wider benefits to its population.
