UPND Win Both By-Elections and Pledge Development

The UPND’s Bernard Kanengo was elected as a Member of Parliament on Friday after the long-anticipated completion of the Kabushi by-election.

Kanengo received 6,556 votes compared to independent candidate Richard Kalasa’s 4,607 votes.

Speaking following his election Kanengo pledged his desire to lift Kabushi up to the standard set by Lusaka. The seat was up for election, alongside Kwacha constituency, after sitting Patriotic Front members had their seats nullified and were then excluded from competing. The election was supposed to take place on September 22 but was postponed following a High Court ruling. The UPND was successful over independent candidates in both seats, with Charles Mulenga taking up the seat.

The victorious Kanengo described the people's vote as "a wise decision, for delivering themselves from the shackles of poverty, from the shackles of manipulation." "I am asking you just like the way you have decided to pick me as your representative to rebuild Kabushi to a standard where Lusaka is," "I am going to be a Member of Parliament for everyone… for all the people in Kabushi."

 The UPND is aiming to make Zambia a middle-income country and in recent months has introduced a number of policies aimed at reducing disparities between Lusaka and the peripheries of the country. Measures including pledges to expand healthcare services, train more teachers, and an increase in budget allocation for the Constituency Development Fund, seek to deliver this pledge. Kanengo’s words thus come as little surprise, and its constituents will be hoping the party can deliver on its promises.

Kanengo has said he's not celebrating Bowman Lusambo's demise but sees it as an opportunity to learn. He emphasised "we are not here to celebrate their downfall but all of us to learn from their downfall. God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble."

“We want to give thanks to the people of Kabushi Constituency, who decided to turn up and cast their ballots in exercise of their constitutional right to decide who their elected representative was going to be. At the end of the day what this election has demonstrated is that there is no one individual, no one political party is above the law. Zambia is greater than any individual; Zambia is greater than any political party. Kabushi was never going to be held ransom because a few individuals felt that they were entitled.”

“The people of Kabushi Constituency have today spoken and they have said that Bernard Kanengo is their duly elected Member of Parliament. Please remember that this by-election was brought about by a nullification which was occasioned by violent and massive maul practices in terms of electoral code of conduct. The UPND has once again demonstrated. We are a peaceful party. We have allowed all those that participated in the campaign peacefully,” Frank Tayali, campaign manager, said.

“We are proud that we ran a clean game and may I just add that the ECZ (Electoral Commission of Zambia) has acted within the law to avoid a constitutional crisis. The ECZ has got a constitutional mandate to carry out an election because we were never going to have Kabushi create a void and be subjected to lack of representation. So to the people of Kabushi thank you we can now deliver development through our area Member of Parliament Honourable Bernard Kanengo. God bless you all,” Mr. Tayali commented.