Chikankata MP Jacqueline Sabao has opened the final week of campaigning with a Sunday appeal centred on farming, youth opportunities, community participation and continuity under the UPND.
Under the shade of a large tree, surrounded by women, young people and other residents dressed in UPND colours, Jacqueline Sabao’s campaign photographs capture the local character of constituency politics.
There is no elaborate stage. Sabao, the incumbent Chikankata Member of Parliament, stands among residents and addresses them directly.
Her Sunday message was equally personal. She asked voters to reflect on the future they want for their families and communities as Zambia approaches the 13 August general election.
“A new week. A shared vision. A brighter future,” she told Chikankata residents.
Sabao thanked residents for the reception she has received during the campaign and asked them to give her another term as their UPND Member of Parliament.
A campaign built around continuity
Sabao is presenting her candidacy as a continuation of the development work undertaken during her current term.
Her message identifies stronger communities, opportunities for young people, support for farmers and public participation as priorities for the next parliamentary term.
The campaign statement does not specify new project budgets, employment targets or agricultural programmes. These details will be important to voters assessing what another term would deliver beyond the broad promise of continuity.
Sabao currently represents Chikankata in the National Assembly. She has participated in parliamentary proceedings and was previously recognised with the Nelly Mutti Outstanding Woman MP Overall Award, according to the National Assembly of Zambia.
Agriculture and youth remain central concerns
Chikankata District has one constituency divided into 14 wards. The district is about 68 kilometres from Lusaka and depends heavily on agriculture and related rural economic activity, according to Chikankata Town Council.
The council’s Constituency Development Fund reporting identifies agriculture as a priority and records youth participation in farming initiatives supported through CDF.
For Sabao, the economic question is how constituency programmes can move beyond one-off grants and create farming businesses capable of reaching dependable markets.
Young people will also want details on skills development, access to finance and the types of businesses that could succeed within Chikankata’s local economy.
What another term would need to answer
Sabao’s call for continued development gives voters a broad direction, but the next step is a measurable constituency programme.
- unfinished projects from the current parliamentary term;
- proposed schools, health facilities, roads and water projects;
- the number of young people targeted for skills and business support;
- agricultural extension, irrigation and market-access plans;
- CDF approval and monitoring processes; and
- how residents in all 14 wards will participate in setting priorities.
Publishing these commitments would allow voters to compare Sabao’s programme with those offered by other Chikankata candidates.
The final days before the vote
Sabao has called for respectful engagement during the remaining campaign period and urged residents to approach the election with hope and unity.
“On 13 August, I humbly ask for your vote as your Member of Parliament for Chikankata Constituency,” she said.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia has set Thursday, 13 August 2026 as polling day. Campaigning is scheduled to close on Wednesday, 12 August, according to the ECZ election timetable.
For Chikankata’s voters, Thursday’s decision will be about whether Sabao’s message of continuity is matched by a sufficiently detailed plan for the constituency’s next five years.
Campaign in pictures
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