10/06/2026
🇿🇲 EXCLUSIVE | Hichilema Steps into Campaign Season, Central Province Responds
For weeks, the opposition has pushed a simple narrative: President Hakainde Hichilema is reluctant to campaign because he senses political trouble ahead.
But Wednesday's scenes at Mulungushi University told a different story.
Long before the presidential motorcade rolled onto campus, students had already gathered in large numbers. Some climbed onto elevated platforms for a better view. Others waved placards bearing the President's image. Medical students in white coats stood shoulder to shoulder with ordinary students as chants echoed across the university grounds. Mobile phones rose into the air. Cameras flashed.
The atmosphere felt less like a routine presidential projects inspection and more like the arrival of a candidate finally stepping onto the campaign trail.
For a President who has spent much of the past several months governing rather than campaigning, the reception carried political significance.
Officially, Hichilema was in Central Province to inspect infrastructure projects at Mulungushi University, including new student hostels and a power substation designed to improve electricity supply at the institution. The visit also included interactions with students and surrounding communities.
But politics was never far from the surface.
The crowd was young, energetic and highly engaged. Placards reading "Students for Bally," "Youths for Bally 2026" and "Meal Allowances Kwenyu" punctuated the gathering. As the President moved through the campus, students surged forward hoping for a closer glimpse, turning what began as a development visit into one of the most visually striking political moments of the campaign season so far.
The symbolism was difficult to ignore.
Youth voters are expected to play a decisive role in the August 13 election. Many belong to a generation whose direct experience of government includes free education, expanded university bursaries, meal allow