Why Harry Kalaba’s CF Is the Party to Look Out for in the 2026 Elections
By The Independent Political Correspondent – 25 Dec. 2025
As Zambia inches closer to the 2026 general elections, the political terrain is steadily revealing where the real threat to the status quo lies. Increasingly, all signs point to Citizens First (CF) and its leader, Harry Kalaba, as the political force to watch. Not by accident, and certainly not by coincidence, CF is today under sustained attack from both the ruling UPND and some strong sections of the opposition. History has shown that when a political movement is attacked from all directions, it is usually because it poses a genuine challenge.
CF’s rise has unsettled many. It has unsettled a ruling party that is struggling to translate power into tangible relief for citizens, and it has unsettled an opposition that has failed to organize itself into a coherent and trustworthy alternative. The sustained focus on CF is therefore less about principle and more about fear—fear of a party that has steadily grown outside recycled alliances, confusion, treachery, betrayal and disillusion.
This reality was indirectly acknowledged during an interview by Socialist Party (SP) president Fred M’membe with Frank Mutubila, where he lamented the failure of the opposition alliance to field a single candidate in the Chawama Parliamentary by-election. What Mr. M’membe did not disclose, however, is equally important. The CF leader, Harry Kalaba and Mr. M’membe met with Mr. Chishimba Kambwili as an emissary of the PF faction leader Given Lubinda. During that meeting, Mr. Kambwili assured his colleagues that the Tonse Alliance would not field a candidate.
Yet, while that engagement was taking place, Tonse had gone ahead to announce a former Permanent Secretary from the PF government as its candidate—using the FDD ticket. This duplicity raises serious questions about sincerity, trust, and political ethics within the alliance that is clearly led by the PF. Like in the case of Bill 7, PF leaders continued to assure the nation that they would not support the Bill and today that Bill is now part of the constitution. Thanks to the treachery displayed by the PF and its leadership that others would like to lead in today’s political formation.
What is more puzzling is the choice of the PF candidate. Nundwe, now paraded as the FDD candidate under the Tonse Alliance. Nundwe defected from the PF to join CF a few months ago. One must reasonably ask: how did Tonse settle for such a person, especially given the painful lessons from their Petauke Member of Parliament under the NCP, who blatantly crossed the line to the ruling UPND? If consistency and discipline truly matter to the PF and its alliance partners, then this choice exposes a glaring contradiction.
Despite this, Tonse leaders have sought to blame Harry Kalaba and CF for the alliance’s failure to field a single, credible candidate – Nundwe. What they conveniently avoid is calling out Brian Mundubile—a Tonse member—who has openly refused to join them on the campaign trail. This selective outrage exposes a deeper problem: treachery within the PF and its alliance membership, a disease that has become so contagious it is now spilling into civil society space.
The fallout is evident. The confusion within PF and its allies has reached the point where even institutions like OCiDA have now been infected, culminating in a seasoned civil rights activist, Brebner Changala, vowing to decampaign Harry Kalaba’s presidential bid—Changala’s frustration stems from Kalaba’s refusal to be drawn into the “confusion” of the alliance factions. This represents a dangerous blurring of lines, where principled refusal to engage in old, fractious politics is punished by those who thrive on it. This is not principled activism; it is political coercion disguised as moral outrage.
Kalaba’s Growing Momentum and the Endorsement That Matters
Despite these concerted attacks, Harry Kalaba’s political stock is rising. He is actively building a compelling case for leadership, undertaking diplomatic tours to discuss Zambia’s socio-economic challenges with regional leaders and international diplomats. This effort to build strong alliances is positioning him as a candidate with both grassroots credibility and the international respect needed to attract investment and foster development.
It is telling that while former President Edgar Lungu supported the formation of the National Congress Party (NCP), the only party he ever “endorsed” publicly is the Citizens First. This endorsement is a significant part of the reason Kalaba is being targeted. CF is the party that stood with Lungu consistently, a loyalty that now makes it a target by those who opposed ECL in life.
Against this backdrop, it is evident and clearer why some voices are spreading the false narrative that CF is the only party being granted permits to hold rallies. The facts tell a different story. In the past 4 years and 4 months, CF has applied for permits to hold rallies 27 times and has only been allowed 4 times. Of those four, two were platforms shared with the late former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (ECL). The disinformation campaign is therefore, a deliberate attempt to undermine genuine popular support the CF and its leadership is enjoying from the citizens who are tired of politics of treachery, betrayal and character assassination.
The Path Forward
To those like Comrade Brebner Changala and his colleagues seeking to derail the CF, the message is clear: You will either support the principled, growing movement that Harry Kalaba and the CF represent, or you will stand by and watch it succeed. You cannot stop an idea whose time has come.
What is common knowledge is that, CF is under fire because it is the real threat. It is attacked by UPND because it is a viable alternative government. It is undermined by opposition factions because it exposes their duplicity and lack of principle, but CF and its leader Harry Kalaba represent consistency, courage, and clarity in a sea of political confusion. That is why CF is the party to look out for in the 2026 elections. The party has gained significant momentum and is consolidating itself as the party of choice.
For voters seeking a clean break from the politics of violence, betrayal, corruption, and confusion, the 2026 choice is becoming increasingly clear. The party to look out for is the one everyone else is trying to take down – It is without a doubt, the Citizens First.
