By the Independent Political Correspondent
Monday, 23rd March, 2026
There are political defeats—and then there are moments that redefine a politician’s standing altogether. For former Roan Member of Parliament Chishimba Kambwili, last Saturday’s loss appears to fall firmly into the latter category.
In the wake of his bruising defeat on 21 March 2026, insiders suggest that the once-feared Patriotic Front hardliner quickly rushed to finding a pathway back to relevance by seeking to go back to the United Party for National Development (UPND). But if the whispers from his former concubine is anything to go by, that door may not just be closed—it may be firmly bolted.
In her high mood and Jezebel kind of tone, she asserted that, she is aware of his dwindling political leverage, hence his seeking her assistance in a bid to re-enter the ruling party’s fold. However, she was quick to mention that no one in their right frame of mind would be willing to accept him as everyone is under clear instruction to keep their distance, signalling a broader reluctance within UPND ranks to embrace the embattled and humiliated former PF figure who overrates himself.
If true, this would mark the second time Kambwili’s overtures toward the UPND have ended in disappointment. Back in 2022, similar efforts stalled despite attempts to reach President Hakainde Hichilema through the Commerce Minister Hon. Chipoka Mulenga.
Our source, spoke candidly after a meeting with him on Monday 23rd March, 2026, did not mince words:
“Ba Kambwili kupwa kulya nomba… ukwisa kuli ifwe ati tubatwale ku UPND…Nakalimanshi abacila market nomba”
Literally translated, the remark suggests a belief that Kambwili’s political influence has waned to the point where he is appealing to us to help him get back to the UPND, right now even Kalimanshi is more valuable than Kambwili – in apparent reference to a former PF thug that defected to the UPND during the Chawama by elections
The bigger question, however, is not whether Kambwili is seeking relevance again, but whether the UPND sees any value in granting it. Relations between Kambwili and the ruling party leadership have long been fraught, with sharp rhetoric and deep mistrust defining their past engagements. For many within the party, welcoming him back could be seen less as reconciliation and more as a political liability, more so that he blames the UPND leader personally responsible for the death of his two brothers who died in a car crash while taking him for a court hearing in Kasama.
In Zambia’s unforgiving political arena, reinvention is always possible—but it is rarely guaranteed. Kambwili, once a dominant voice in the PF’s most combative ranks, now finds himself navigating a vastly altered landscape where past influence offers no automatic ticket back to prominence.
Whether this moment represents a temporary setback or a more permanent political eclipse remains to be seen. But for now, the message from within UPND appears unmistakable: the path back to UPND is shut as they do not want to risk bringing this poison chalice anywhere near Mr. Hichilema for fear he might do anything to him especially following the threats that were issued by the Mporokoso Lawmaker after his release from a 24-hr detention at Ibex Hill Police.
