"Zambia Deserves Better’

Katuta Unveils Independent Presidential Ambition for 2026

By Francis Maingaila

Lusaka, Zambia24 (October 8, 2025) – Chienge Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Given Katuta has officially declared her candidacy for the 2026 presidential election as an independent, saying the nation is in urgent need of accountable, people-centered leadership.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka, Katuta said her decision followed months of listening to citizens, reflecting, and praying about the country’s challenges. 

She said Zambia faces serious problems, including the high cost of living, rising unemployment, a weakening currency, and public service failures.

 “Our people are crying out for leadership that listens and delivers. This is not the time for political games or party divisions; it is time to address the real challenges facing ordinary Zambians,” Katuta said.

She said she chose to run independently because the political party system has failed, describing it as a source of betrayal, confusion, and corruption. According to Katuta, party politics have become dominated by self-interest rather than service to the people.

“We are borrowing to survive instead of building. Our clinics lack medicines, our schools lack proper materials, and our graduates are walking the streets with shattered dreams. Zambia deserves better,” she said.

Katuta highlighted other challenges, including load-shedding, unaffordable food and fuel, and poorly equipped schools and hospitals, which she said continue to undermine citizens’ livelihoods and opportunities.

> “I am not seeking power for personal gain. I am standing for the people — for every mother who cannot afford a meal, for every youth seeking opportunity, and for every child whose future depends on the decisions we make today,” she added.

She pledged that, if elected, her leadership would focus on integrity, accountability, inclusion, and economic renewal, emphasizing that the nation must be built to serve all its citizens, not a privileged few.

Katuta, who has represented Chienge as an independent MP since 2021, said she is committed to offering a new type of leadership that restores hope and public confidence, signaling a fresh alternative ahead of the 2026 elections.