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15 January 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The Chawama National Assembly by-election was held on 15 January 2026 [1] to elect a Member of Parliament for the Chawama Constituency in the Lusaka District of Zambia. The by-election was won by Nundwe Bright of the FDD, who defeated Muunda Morgan of the UPND and seven other candidates. [2]
The seat became vacant after the Speaker of the National Assembly, Nelly Mutti, declared it so due to the prolonged absence of the incumbent MP, Tasila Lungu. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] The Speaker invoked Article 72(2)(c) of the Constitution of Zambia following Lungu's absence during events related to her father's burial delays. [9]
Nominations opened on December 16, 2025, with the campaign period running from December 17, 2025, to January 14, 2026. [10] The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) expects over 15 candidates, requiring Grade 12 certificates or equivalents. A total of nine candidates successfully filed their nominations. The candidates represent a mix of established political parties and independent runners. [11] [12]
| No. | Candidate | Party |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mulenga Davison | Citizens First |
| 2 | Musukuma Ntazana | Leadership Movement |
| 3 | Mutete Mohammad | New Congress Party |
| 4 | Muunda Morgan [13] | United Party for National Development |
| 5 | Nundwe Bright | Forum for Democracy and Development |
| 6 | Phiri James | National Democratic Congress |
| 7 | Mageza Alfred | Independent |
| 8 | Mwenya George | Independent |
| 9 | Siatwaambo Elijah | Independent |
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nundwe Bright | Forum for Democracy and Development | 8,085 | 45.41 | |
| Muunda Morgan | United Party for National Development | 6,542 | 36.74 | |
| Mulenga Davison | Citizens First | 1,534 | 8.62 | |
| Mwenya George | Independent | 466 | 2.62 | |
| Siatwaambo Elijah | Independent | 428 | 2.40 | |
| Mutete Mohammad | New Congress Party | 319 | 1.79 | |
| Ndiweni Alfred | Economic and People's Party | 239 | 1.34 | |
| Musukuma Ntazana | Leadership Movement | 100 | 0.56 | |
| Phiri James | National Democratic Congress | 93 | 0.52 | |
| Total | 17,806 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 17,806 | 98.40 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 290 | 1.60 | ||
| Total votes | 18,096 | 100.00 | ||
| Source: Electoral Commission of Zambia [14] | ||||
The Electoral Commission of Zambia stated that the election was conducted smoothly and peacefully, with ECZ chairperson Mwangala Zaloumis confirming that the process was completed without incident. [15] Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa commended Chawama voters for a peaceful poll, describing the outcome as evidence of a thriving democracy and a positive signal ahead of the 2026 general elections. [16]
Former Patriotic Front minister Chishimba Kambwili described the opposition campaign in Chawama as effective and attributed the victory of FDD candidate Bright Nundwe to addressing local concerns such as hunger, load shedding, and dissatisfaction with the national government. He also emphasised opposition cooperation in the campaign. [17]