ZAMBIA’S 2026 presidential election has taken a historic turn with the entry of a third female candidate, setting the stage for an unprecedented contest that could deliver the southern African nation its first woman head of state.
Member of Parliament, Given Mwelwa Katuta, announced on Friday that she will run as an independent presidential candidate, joining two other women in a race that has suddenly become as much about breaking barriers as about policy.
The Chienge MP positioned her candidacy as a direct challenge to what she called a “broken” party political system, promising voters a leadership untethered to partisan interests.
‘Zambia Stands at a Crossroads’
“I stand before you today not as a politician seeking a position, but as a mother, a legislator, and a Zambian citizen answering the call to serve,” Katuta told reporters in her declaration speech. “After months of listening to our people, reflecting, and praying, I have made a bold but necessary decision.”
The independent candidate painted a bleak picture of the nation’s current trajectory, declaring that “the dreams of 2021 have faded” and “hope has turned to hardship.”
“I am standing as an independent because the political party system is broken,” Katuta said. “It has become a place of betrayal, confusion, and corruption. Zambia needs a fresh, fearless, and people-powered presidency.”
Ten-Point Crisis
Katuta outlined what she described as urgent national challenges requiring immediate attention, from the high cost of living to persistent power shortages that she said are “killing business and family life.”
“We cannot pretend anymore. Let us speak plainly,” she said, ticking off a list that included youth unemployment, mounting national debt, and a collapsing kwacha. “Our graduates are walking the streets with empty pockets and broken dreams.”
She also took aim at governance issues, alleging widespread corruption and restrictions on free speech. “Leaders preach integrity but practice theft,” Katuta charged. “Citizens are afraid to speak out; arrests are used to silence.”
The MP reserved particular criticism for what she described as farmer neglect and gender exclusion in leadership. “Women remain spectators in a game they must help lead,” she said.
A Record of Defiance
Defending her credentials, Katuta pointed to her parliamentary tenure as evidence of independence and principle. “As MP for Chienge, I have never wavered. I have stood firm in Parliament even when I stood alone,” she said. “I did not cross the floor. I stood on principle.”
The candidate framed her campaign as a grassroots movement rather than a traditional political operation. “This campaign is not about power. It is about people,” Katuta declared. “We will not be bankrolled by cartels. We will be carried by communities.”
Direct Appeal to Women and Youth
In what may prove her campaign’s defining message, Katuta issued an urgent call to Zambian women to move beyond supporting roles.
“I am a woman who has walked through fire and refused to be silenced. If we want to change Zambia, women must rise,” she said. “Not just to clap at rallies, but to lead from the front.”
“This campaign is a call to every girl who dreams, every mother who struggles, and every woman who has been told ‘you can’t,'” Katuta added.
She directed equally pointed remarks at young Zambians: “Stop waiting for leaders. Become the leaders. Walk with me. Work with me. Let’s claim this country back—together.”
Historic Moment
Katuta acknowledged both her limitations and her readiness for the nation’s highest office. “I am not a perfect woman, but I am a prepared woman,” she said. “I am not part of a cartel. I am part of the people.”
Concluding her declaration, the candidate framed the 2026 election as a choice about national direction rather than merely personalities. “In 2026, we don’t just need a new President—we need a new direction,” Katuta said.
“Zambia is not for sale. Zambia is not for parties. Zambia is for Zambians,” she declared. “Let us do what others say is impossible.”
The identities of the other two female candidates were not immediately available. Zambia has never elected a woman president since gaining independence in 1964.
