By Kapya Kaoma
Once a darling of the West, President Hakainde Hichilema’s decision not to attend the United Nations General Assembly—likely the last of his presidency—speaks volumes.
For a man often accused of narcissism, his absence from such a global stage is surprising. Or is it? On September 26, 2021, I warned in the Lusaka Times after U.S. President Joe Biden hailed Hichilema as Africa’s new anti-corruption champion at the UN. Biden went so far as to compare Zambia disfavorably in terms of corruption to Congo, Somalia, and Sudan. Instead of defending Zambia’s dignity, Hichilema smiled and basked in the applause. His supporters—“Bally worshippers”—cheered, convinced their leader had placed Zambia firmly on the world map.
Four years later, that same “anti-corruption crusader” presides over a government now cited for graft and human rights abuses. Zambia has been blacklisted by the United States–for corruption and human rights abuses. The very allies who once embraced Hichilema now look on his government with suspicion. Thus, rather than face the scrutiny of the UN, he is hiding away. But what has changed? Nothing—except that the mask has slipped. He cannot lie forever.
The truth is what I cautioned years ago. Hichilema is a master of deception. He promised transparency yet never declared his wealth or allowed real investigations into his officials. He vowed to uphold human rights, yet political violence and police brutality have worsened. Today, speaking out is treated as a capital offense. Even within his party, whispers abound about UPND cadres terrorizing citizens. The abuses Zambians thought they had buried with the Patriotic Front have returned—sometimes worse.
Chibokolo, infamous for insulting the late President Lungu and a die-hard Hichilema supporter, is an example. He was recently attacked by UPND cadres. Worse, cadres continue to openly terrorize people while the president looks on.
Hichilema governs less like a democrat and more like a petty autocrat. The man is so insecure that he can be threatened by a “mosquito,” he orders arrests of opponents no matter how small or insignificant, clamps down on protests, and tolerates violence in his name. Social media is closely monitored—at what cost to our freedoms? His stature as head of state has withered, reduced to little more than the title “President of Zambia.” Many citizens now say they would sooner vote for a frog than for Hichilema in 2026. Go to the markets—this is their truth.
With elections just eleven months away, what can he claim as achievements? Commissioning unplastered toilets? A trail of poorly executed CDF projects or cheap trucks? Demolished homes? Silencing dissent? Arresting rivals? This is hardly the record of a reformer.
Instead, his legacy is shaping up as one of broken promises, entrenched corruption, justice denied, democracy weakened by fear, and starvation. Even his own vice president has denied his campaign pledges in Parliament, as though we lived in the dark ages. But the nation remembers—we all heard those promises repeated for years. For Hichilema, truth is elastic, bent for convenience. For the rest of us, that is simply lying.
Time is running out. Unless he flees into exile, the very prisons he now fills with opponents may one day house him. For his children, one can only hope they are spared the humiliation that has dogged the families of disgraced leaders before him. But Hichilema cannot outrun accountability. His fall from grace is not a question of if, but when. The only question is whether August 2026 will come too late.
Ba Kaoma nao, Bally akayenda, mudandaula ati ayenda maningi, akachita delegate ati he had fallen from western Grace
Akayenda ku toilet, ati ayenda maningi, ngati siayenda ati munthu uyu nichani siayenda ku kalimbalimba.
Ba Kaoma you hate this president, this man with passion, anything good he has done for his country means nothing to people like you. FYI you will have a heart attack when je wins for the second term.
Very very true .Kaoma sees ghosts where there’s none.
HH will win with a very margin! Mark my words
HH is the best in town, watch the space, we walk on streets freely and speak English in meetings, corruption is not at levels seen in previous governments.
@jj kaloba, comment on point. Corruption levels have indeed gone down, however, corruption should be at zero level. If Rwanda did it, Zambia can do it too.
This Kaoma guy him he thinks bootlicking the west is the way to develop the country, that is wrong, development is not about depending on others but finding our own solutions. If we cannot innovate like we did under KK when had started our own soft drinks like TIP TOP, Kwench , Tarino and others with gastric free and simply depend on the west then we do not need such people like Kaoma. For those who are saying I’m wrong just wait and see our neighbours Nyansa they have crucified themselves good time by bringing a failed project back.
Innovate like KK ?? I am really baffled
This kaoma guy is very sick.People who appreciate what HH has achieved its not you and it has never been will vote for him massively.Hatred for this man will kill you take it easy .You are really not ashamed with all this nonsense you write.Are you on drugs or you smoke the green weed?
Do we for real have hateful haters pa Zed like the writer of this article? What a mess in his brain. Hopefully he’s not been used. He know any across the ocean corruption.
Kaoma your hate for the president is eating your grey matter. Cool down mwana. This is too much
Ba koama your bitterness for the president will not take you anywhere
Kaoma is not sick. He is PF and pushing the
PF agenda which was to sideline others
including HH. Kaoma is tribal like PF. They
hate HH because he removed PF from power.
Like it or not, in Zambia today, PF is about tribe and where
one belongs to. Pure hatred for HH
tick tock tick tock
FORWARD 2026 KA!!!KWENYU!!!
To the writer of this article. UN is wacky just like OAU, a batch of old men in suits a d recycled speeches. Waste money flying to just do that. At Zed right now, all the cash in jar is needed and shall be spent properly.
Am non Partisan but as a businessman i think HH is trying his best….running a country is no joke…..and HH is really trying hard and am not even UPND….2026 he might win again because of useless opposition
If you can’t see substance in current CDF eventualities and tangible development as compared to CDF since inception then you are blind to reason and perception. You are a very bitter PF cadre