By Ellen Hambuba
President Hakainde Hichilema is tomorrow expected to launch the United Party for National Development (UPND) manifesto for the 2026 General Election.
The launch, scheduled for the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, will outline the ruling party’s development agenda and priorities for a renewed mandate.
State House Chief Communication Specialist Clayson Hamasaka said the manifesto is anchored on the belief that Zambia has moved beyond the recovery phase and is now ready to accelerate economic growth and national development.
Mr. Hamasaka said the manifesto builds on what the party describes as key achievements since 2021, including the restoration of free education, economic reforms, and debt restructuring.
He noted that Government inherited an economy in distress but has since completed a landmark debt restructuring programme, restored confidence among international partners, and reduced inflation from 24.6 percent in 2021 to 6.6 percent.
He said the free education policy has enabled more than 2.6 million children to access schooling, supported by the recruitment of over 42,000 teachers.
President Hichilema recently signed free education into law, transforming it into a protected legal right.
Mr. Hamasaka further cited reforms under the Farmer Input Support Programme, including the nationwide rollout of the electronic voucher system, which eliminated ghost beneficiaries and added more than 200,000 farmers. These reforms have contributed to a projected maize harvest of nearly five million tonnes, marking a second consecutive bumper harvest.
He also pointed to the expansion of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) as a major achievement. Looking ahead, the manifesto will focus on job creation, lowering the cost of living, and ensuring economic opportunities reach households nationwide.
Targets to be unveiled include increasing electricity generation capacity to 10,000 megawatts, raising annual copper production towards three million tonnes, and expanding maize production to 10 million tonnes.
