Kaputa, a district with a population of just 102,854 according to ZamStats, appeared to empty itself on Wednesday as thousands turned out for President Hakainde Hichilema‘s campaign rally there. The turnout followed a call to action by former Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts…

Kaputa, a district with a population of just 102,854 according to ZamStats, appeared to empty itself on Wednesday as thousands turned out for President Hakainde Hichilema‘s campaign rally there. The turnout followed a call to action by former Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts Elvis Nkandu, transforming the venue into a sea of red.

The massive crowd set the tone for the President’s swing through four Northern Province districts, Kaputa, Chilubi, Nsama and Mporokoso, where he unveiled development pledges covering roads, healthcare, aviation, electricity and water infrastructure while urging voters to renew the United Party for National Development (UPND)‘s mandate in the August 13 general election.

Addressing the crowd in Kaputa, President Hichilema thanked residents for turning out and said continued support for the ruling party would translate into accelerated development. “Thank you very much, ba Kaputa District, for coming in your thousands to our meeting today. Your continued support for us will continue to lead to more development. We will do the roads here. We will build the hospital. We will do more and more for Kaputa,” he said.

Responding to an appeal from UPND parliamentary candidate Nkandu, the President confirmed that government would construct a fully fledged general hospital in the district to improve access to healthcare and reduce referrals to Kasama. “I am here to confirm that here in Kaputa, looking at the population, a UPND government will build a fully fledged hospital here with all the facilities,” he said.

President Hichilema said Kaputa would also benefit from the forthcoming recruitment of health workers, and reaffirmed government’s commitment to completing the Mununga-Kaputa-Mporokoso road, a project he described as critical to improving connectivity and unlocking economic opportunities in the district.

Before addressing the rally, the President led mourners in a moment of silence for UPND supporter Humphrey Lwisha, who died last month following an incident of political violence. He condemned the violence and called for peaceful political competition. “The recently recorded killing of a fellow citizen who believed in the UPND vision by those who don’t support divergent views will never ever happen again. We once again send our sincere condolences to the family and may his soul continue to rest in peace,” he said.

He closed his Kaputa address by urging residents to turn out on August 13. “Mwebena Kaputa. Mwe ba Twabwa, twatotela sana. On August 13, go and vote for the UPND. May God bless Kaputa District of Northern Province,” he said.

Chilubi and Nsama

In Chilubi, the President described the island constituency as an area of immense potential requiring greater public investment. “Chilubi is a beautiful place, but it needs a lot of development. We can only achieve that development if we work together,” he said, while urging residents to support the ruling party to accelerate development there.

President Hichilema expressed disappointment that Chilubi had not benefited from the recent constituency delimitation exercise, and urged voters to elect the UPND candidate to speed up implementation of development programmes. He pointed to his administration’s record over the past five years, citing free education, increased Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations, and the recruitment of teachers, health workers and other public servants.

In Nsama, the President announced government would tar the Mporokoso-Nsama road, reopen Kasaba Bay Airport, and improve electricity, water supply and telecommunications infrastructure to stimulate trade, tourism and economic growth in the area. “We will construct the Mporokoso-Nsama road, improve water supply, reopen Kasaba Bay Airport, bring electricity to Nsama and enhance network infrastructure and services. These are development projects meant to improve the lives of our people,” he said.

He added that increased CDF allocations had already accelerated the construction and rehabilitation of schools, health facilities and other community infrastructure across rural Zambia, and pledged the programmes would continue if UPND secured another mandate.

Mporokoso

The President concluded his Northern Province tour in Mporokoso, where he said his administration had restored political freedoms allowing all parties to campaign freely across the country. “I was not allowed to campaign here in Mporokoso in 2021 by the same people who now want to govern this country. Today, there is freedom for everyone to campaign because that is what democracy demands,” he said.

He pledged to upgrade the Mporokoso-Kawambwa road and the Mporokoso-Nsama-Kaputa road network, and directed volunteer nurses and other health workers who attended the meeting to submit their names for consideration during the forthcoming government recruitment exercise.

Throughout the four-district engagement, President Hichilema maintained that his administration’s development agenda remains focused on improving quality of life through sustained investment in healthcare, education, infrastructure, agriculture and rural development, adding that continued implementation depends on the electorate renewing UPND’s mandate in next month’s general election.