MWANDI - Independent parliamentary aspirant Iris Kaingu has alleged that President Hakainde Hichilema personally offered her a government appointment and a position on the UPND campaign team if she withdrew her candidature in Mwandi.
Kaingu made the allegations during a live Facebook broadcast a day after President Hichilema urged Mwandi residents to reject her candidature and support the UPND-adopted candidate, Sibeso Sefulo Kakoma.
According to Kaingu, President Hichilema called her about two months ago in what she understood to be a private conversation and presented the alleged offer after nominations had closed.
She claimed the President told her that she would be appointed to a government position, citing her status as a young woman, and would also be included in the UPND's national mobilisation and campaign team if she withdrew from the race.
"My answer has not changed. You should have told the people yesterday what it is you're offering me that I said no to," Kaingu said, addressing the President.
Kaingu further alleged that before approaching her directly, President Hichilema contacted her father in an attempt to persuade her to withdraw from the election.
She said her father responded that she was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions and directed the President to speak to her directly.
Kaingu, who previously served as a Patriotic Front aspirant for the same seat, joined the UPND before resigning from the party on June 3, 2026, following what she described as rejection by local party structures.
She said her decision to remain in the race was based on principle rather than personal political interests.
"I am a politician. I want to be the leader that my people expect me to be, not one person that can be bought or sold," she said.
Kaingu also used the broadcast to highlight what she described as longstanding development challenges in Mwandi District.
Among the issues she raised were a reported 120-kilometre stretch of road from Kazungula, limited access to schools, inadequate maternity services and electricity challenges affecting health facilities.
She cited an alleged incident in Magumbo Ward in which a woman died after health workers reportedly used a mobile phone light while attempting to find a vein because there was no electricity.
Kaingu questioned the argument that Western Province is traditional UPND political territory, saying the province supported the party even before it formed government in 2021.
She argued that basic infrastructure and public services in Mwandi have not improved sufficiently despite the passage of five years.
Kaingu also questioned the distinction between the UPND and the Patriotic Front, noting that a significant number of current UPND members previously belonged to the PF.
She thanked other independent candidates who had remained in the race despite what she described as pressure to withdraw and appealed to donor organisations to support efforts to improve access to safe water in Mwandi.
President Hichilema, speaking to residents in Mwandi a day earlier, urged voters to support the UPND's adopted candidate, Sibeso Sefulo Kakoma. According to reports of his remarks, he accused Kaingu of disrespect and greed over her decision to seek the UPND adoption after recently joining the party.
Kaingu's claims about the alleged offer have not been independently verified, and the UPND had not responded to the specific allegations at the time of publication.
Zambians are scheduled to vote in the August 13, 2026 General Election.