NKOMBO RESIGNS FROM UPND AFTER 25 YEARS

Former Local Government Minister and Mazabuka Central independent candidate Gary Nkombo has officially resigned from the United Party for National Development (UPND), bringing to an end a political journey that began in February 2001.

In a resignation letter addressed to UPND Secretary General Batuke Imenda and copied to the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Nkombo says he is stepping away from the party in line with legal requirements for independent candidates which requires them to resign from their political parties 60 days before voting day. 

But beyond the legal obligation, Nkombo revealed a deeper wound.

The former UPND chairman for Elections and campaigns  manager said recent events convinced him that he was no longer welcome in the party he once described as family.

Without holding back, he points to the events surrounding May 20, 2026, when he was assaulted during the filing of nomination papers in Mazabuka. He says the attack, which he claims was carried out by known UPND members, together with other incidents that happened behind the scenes, left him with no option but to "cut his losses."

"Despite my most sincere pledges of allegiance and commitment to the Party, the series of events leading up to 20th May 2026, both unpublicised and now overtly displayed, indicate that I am no longer welcome within the party," Nkombo wrote.

The resignation marks a dramatic chapter in the political career of one of UPND's longest-serving members. For years, Nkombo stood among President Hakainde Hichilema's most loyal allies, defending the party through opposition years, arrests, court battles, and election defeats before eventually serving as a Cabinet Minister after the UPND formed government in 2021.

Yet relations between Nkombo and the ruling party have appeared increasingly strained from the time he was fired as local government minister last year in march, and early this year again he was dropped by President Hichilema as the party’s Chairman for Elections and campaigns manager, a big and influential position in UPND responsible of adoption process and how the party carry its campaign strategy. The final hit on the nail was after he decided not to apply for adoption for the Mazabuka Central under UPND and later entered the race as an independent candidate when his supporters raised K25,000 to pay for his nomination fee. Nkombo said he felt like he was at a dumbsite site and his supporters picked him so that they can clean him

Despite the circumstances of his departure, Nkombo's letter carries a tone of gratitude rather than hostility.

He thanked the entire UPND membership for allowing him to serve in various capacities over the past 25 years and wished the party God's blessings and good fortunes in the future.

The resignation now formally closes one chapter of Nkombo's political life and opens another, one in which he must convince voters to return him to Parliament without the backing of the political party he helped build.

JUST TO UNLOCK YOUR MIND

For years, Gary Nkombo was viewed as one of President Hakainde Hichilema's most trusted political lieutenants. In fact, during the launch of his independent campaign, Nkombo publicly declared that he still loves President Hichilema and would support his re-election bid. 

But politics can be complicated.

While Nkombo has now resigned from the UPND, he has repeatedly stated that he has no personal differences with President Hichilema. His dispute, according to his recent statements, is with events and individuals surrounding the adoption process and the violence that erupted during nominations in Mazabuka.

But he noted that "once voted back, he will humbly go to President Hichilema and ask him that they work together" - saying the president is still his boss. 

He also assured his voters that he will go back to UPND. He only left because the law requires him to do so as an independent candidate. 

If Nkombo wins, his influence in politics will have a chance to survive.  But if he'll be defeated, his political career, according to one internet user will be as done or non-influencial as that of Wynter Kabimba who was so powerful during the Sata days until he was fired as minister. 

[Brave Heart News  | UnlockingMinds]