01/09/2026
MR HICHILEMA SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT AND UNVEILS ‘GROW ZAMBIA’ AGENDA
Mr Hakainde Hichilema has been sworn in as President of the Republic of Zambia and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force, following his victory in the August 2026 Presidential election.
Taking the oath of office before millions of Zambians and an array of regional and international dignitaries, President Hichilema assumed the constitutional responsibility of leading the Republic into a new five year mandate and pledged to build on the economic stabilisation achieved during his first term and accelerate the country's transition towards growth and prosperity.
President Hichilema was sworn into office alongside his running mate, Her Honour Mrs W.K. Mutale Nalumango, who also took the oath of office in accordance with the Constitution as the Vice President of the Republic of Zambia.
The swearing-in ceremony was conducted by the Chief Justice of Zambia, His Lordship, Dr. Mumba Malila, SC at a colourful inauguration ceremony held at Heroes Stadium on Tuesday, 1 September 2026.
And in a landmark inauguration address, President Hichilema declared that Zambia had entered a new phase of its development journey and described the second term as the era of the “Grow Zambia Agenda.”
He said the mandate entrusted to him by Zambians was not a personal victory but a sacred responsibility to serve the entire nation.
“This mandate, therefore, belongs not to HH but to the people of Zambia,” President Hichilema said.
The President pledged to lead a government focused on expanding economic opportunities, creating jobs, attracting investment, strengthening human capital and ensuring that economic growth is felt directly by ordinary citizens.
He said his administration would build on reforms implemented during the first term, which he credited with stabilising the economy, strengthening investor confidence, reducing inflation and stabilising the Kwacha.
But President Hichilema acknowledged that economic stability had not yet translated into sufficient relief for every household, particularly amid continuing concerns over the cost of living.
He consequently positioned the next five years as a period of growth, expansion, opportunity and prosperity, with production and wealth creation at the centre of the national agenda.
At the heart of his economic vision is the ambitious 10-10-5-3-3-1-1-1 framework, targeting 10 million tonnes of maize, 10,000 megawatts of electricity, five million tourist arrivals, three million tonnes of copper, three million tonnes of soybeans, one million tonnes of wheat, one million tonnes of sugar and at least US$1 billion in beef exports.
President Hichilema said the targets were designed to drive job creation, expand business opportunities, increase government revenue and create a cycle of investment, production and reinvestment.
He emphasised that economic growth must translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
“Economic growth must mean something at the dinner table to all our people. It must mean a job to a graduate, a market for a farmer and a marketeer selling any merchandise,” he said.
The President also reaffirmed his commitment to free education, healthcare, social protection and decentralisation and said the government would continue investing in education, skills development and health while empowering women and young people.
He pledged that development would reach every part of the country and declared that no province would be left behind.
The President's address, however, went beyond economics, with national unity and political reconciliation featuring prominently in his vision for the new administration.
He extended a hand to political opponents and said those who voted against him should not be regarded as enemies but as fellow citizens with an equal stake in Zambia's future.
“The person who voted against us is not our enemy. He is our brother. She is our sister. They are fellow Zambians. Period.”
He urged political actors to accept differences as a natural feature of democracy and cautioned against allowing political competition to threaten peace, security and national stability.
“The election is now behind us, the country before us belongs to us all,” he said.
President Hichilema further directed public officers to put national interest ahead of personal considerations and called for integrity, accountability and patriotism in the discharge of public responsibilities.
On foreign policy, he reaffirmed Zambia's commitment to economic diplomacy, regional peace, security, stability and international cooperation and pledged that the country would remain an investor friendly destination and a reliable partner within the community of nations.
He underscored the importance of peace and stability as prerequisites for national development as well as collective action and urged Zambians to abandon a culture of dependency and embrace production as the foundation of sustainable prosperity.
The inauguration ceremony was witnessed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, President William Ruto of Kenya, President Duma Boko of Botswana, President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah of Namibia, representatives of Heads of State and Government, and senior representatives of regional and international organisations, including the African Union.
The dignitaries joined millions of Zambians in witnessing the formal assumption of office by President Hichilema, as Zambia reaffirmed its commitment to national development, reconciliation, peace and regional solidarity.
The gathering also underscored the country's broader vision for a more integrated and prosperous Africa, anchored on economic and social integration, sustainable development, cooperation and shared prosperity.
The inauguration ceremony was also graced by foreign dignitories, senior government officials and the Service Chiefs, who witnessed the historic occasion.
Zambia Air Force Commander, Lt Gen Oscar Msitu Nyoni, joined his fellow Service Chiefs in according the President and Commander-in-Chief full military honours, including the Presidential Salute, ceremonial march-past, military fly-past and the firing of the traditional 21-gun salute, alongside other military courtesies and protocols marking the formal assumption to the Presidential office.
President Hichilema's inauguration thus marks the beginning of a new political chapter, with his administration seeking to move Zambia from stabilisation to growth, while placing economic production, job creation, human development, national unity and peace at the centre of the country's next phase of development.
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