Diffikoti joins UPND as party sharpens election push

The ruling UPND moved to widen its political reach after Munali aspiring parliamentary candidate Thomas Sipalo, popularly known as Diffikoti, formally joined the party and endorsed President Hakainde Hichilema, giving the ruling party fresh celebrity visibility and a potentially valuable urban mobilisation network at a moment when political parties are shifting from public declarations to the harder work of campaign execution.

Sipalo’s entry immediately attracted attention because it was presented as more than a symbolic endorsement. Speaking at the UPND secretariat in Lusaka, he said he was bringing more than 30,000 supporters from his Tiikosesa Movement into the ruling party. If that number translates into structured mobilisation, it could become a significant asset in Lusaka constituencies where youth turnout often shapes electoral margins. Sipalo said his decision was influenced by what he described as visible progress under Hichilema’s administration, citing free education, expanded Constituency Development Fund allocations, mining sector recovery and currency stability.

His endorsement comes as political parties move into a far less forgiving stage of the electoral cycle where visibility alone is no longer enough. Alliances, endorsements and press conferences are now being replaced by the demands of ward mobilisation, constituency coordination and campaign logistics. Parties entering this phase with weak structures risk being exposed quickly once official campaigns intensify.

UPND appears determined to minimise internal distractions as that phase begins. National Chairperson Collins Maoma publicly welcomed Sipalo and instructed party structures to integrate both him and his supporters. Maoma described President Hichilema as a leader whose development record continues attracting support beyond traditional political structures, reinforcing the ruling party’s broader message that it is expanding rather than defending its political base.

That consolidation strategy became more visible when UPND Media Director Mark Simuuwe, who had been contesting the newly created Livingstone Central parliamentary seat, announced his withdrawal from that race to focus entirely on Hichilema’s presidential campaign. Former Livingstone Mayor Constance Muleabai also stepped away from her own parliamentary ambitions. The decisions signalled a party leadership increasingly focused on ensuring constituency battles do not weaken national presidential messaging.

UPND Lusaka Province Chairperson Obvious Mwaliteta pushed that confidence even further by declaring that the ruling party would run the easiest campaign in its history because it no longer needed to make fresh promises to voters. He argued that the campaign would largely focus on reminding citizens of what the party says it has already delivered, pointing to recent mobilisation numbers during Hichilema’s ECZ pre-processing exercise as evidence of strong public support.

That confidence exists alongside internal pressure that the party is still trying to manage. UPND’s Elections Management Committee recently warned aspiring candidates against prematurely celebrating adoption victories before final decisions are announced by the National Management Committee. The warning exposed tensions that naturally emerge when multiple political ambitions collide inside a ruling party preparing for a national campaign.

For Sipalo, the real political test now moves beyond headlines. Public endorsements can generate immediate excitement, but elections are decided through ward structures, polling station operations and voter turnout. His popularity may help attract younger voters and strengthen UPND’s visibility in urban communities, but the real measure of his political value will be whether those claimed 30,000 supporters become visible where elections are ultimately won — on the ground.