President Hakainde Hichilema has described the Kasama mayoral by-election held on Thursday, January 29, 2026, as a positive demonstration of democratic practice and has commended opposition political parties for their peaceful conduct during the electoral process.
In a message shared on social media, President Hichilema congratulated United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate Bywell Simposya on his victory, stating that the election reflected the true spirit of democracy, where citizens freely participate, leaders contest ideas, and candidates accept the outcome of the vote.
“Elections, by their nature, are competitive. Yet once the ballots are counted and the voices of the people are heard, we must emerge more united, more refined and more committed to the collective progress of our nation,” the President wrote on his official Facebook page.
He noted that Zambia is founded on peace, inclusiveness and solidarity, and called on both citizens and leaders to continue upholding these principles as the country advances on its development agenda.
President Hichilema further emphasized that democracy goes beyond the declaration of results and is sustained through unity, love and brotherhood among citizens.
“Ours is a country built on peace, inclusiveness and solidarity. These values must remain the bedrock of our national journey as we focus on loving, caring and delivering development and improving the wellbeing of every citizen,” he stated.
Mr. Simposya won the by-election with 17,647 votes. His closest challenger, Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) candidate Peter Yuda, polled 14,302 votes.
Citizens First’s Aaron Zimba received 4,405 votes, while United Progressive People’s Party of Zambia (UPPZ) candidate Kapambwe Mukuka obtained 2,988. Socialist Party’s Mubanga Joseph garnered 2,211 votes, and New Focus Party candidate Mary Bukisa recorded 472 votes.
Following the announcement of the final results, Simposya was declared the winner of the Kasama mayoral by-election, succeeding the late Patriotic Front (PF) mayor Theresa Kolala, who died on December 5, 2025.
Atleast there was no real mapatizya formula in Kasama apart from some motor vehicle formula one chase of the opposition leaders