Jacqueline Sabao took the oath of office as Member of Parliament for Chikankata on Tuesday, joining more than a hundred elected legislators sworn in at the start of Zambia’s 2026-2031 National Assembly.
Key takeaways
- Jacqueline Sabao was sworn in as Chikankata’s MP on 8 September, as Speaker Nelly Mutti administered the oath to elected members of the new National Assembly.
- It is Sabao’s second term. The UPND legislator first won the Southern Province seat in 2021 and was returned to Parliament after the 13 August general election.
- Vice President Mutale Nalumango took her own oath a day earlier, on 7 September, formally opening the five-year 2026-2031 parliamentary term.
- In a statement marking the occasion, Sabao said her priority is ensuring Chikankata’s development needs and the concerns of its 14 wards reach the National Assembly.
- She campaigned in April and August on continuity, citing infrastructure and agricultural projects delivered during her first term; specific commitments for the new term have not yet been published.
Sabao was among the elected members Speaker Nelly Mutti swore in at Parliament Buildings in Lusaka on 8 September, as the National Assembly worked through the roughly 224 constituency and nominated seats returned from the 13 August general election. The exercise followed Vice President Mutale Nalumango’s own oath a day earlier, which formally opened the chamber’s 2026-2031 term.
A second term after a continuity campaign
Sabao, who represents Chikankata District in Southern Province, first won the seat for the UPND in 2021. She opened her re-election campaign in April on a message of continuity, telling residents she wanted to “continue from where we have stopped,” and closed it in August with a Sunday appeal built around farming, youth opportunities and community participation.
Her campaign did not publish new project budgets or specific targets for a second term, a gap this publication noted at the time. Tuesday’s swearing-in starts the clock on delivering whatever detail follows.
Sabao’s statement on taking office
Marking the oath, Sabao framed the day as the start of a new phase of responsibility rather than the end of the campaign.
“This moment marks the beginning of my responsibility to represent the people of Chikankata in Parliament and to contribute to national law-making, oversight and discussions on matters affecting our constituency and our country. I accept this responsibility with humility and a firm commitment to serve our people.”
She said the campaign period was now behind her and pointed to three priorities for the term ahead: listening to communities, representing their priorities, and engaging government on Chikankata’s development needs.
“My responsibility is to ensure that the voices of our people are heard in the National Assembly and that the issues affecting our communities receive the attention they deserve. I know that parliamentary representation must ultimately be measured by what it delivers for the people.”
Sabao said she intends to work with traditional leaders, government institutions and “all stakeholders who share the desire to see Chikankata move forward,” describing the term ahead as a shared undertaking rather than a personal mandate.
What comes next for Chikankata
Chikankata is a single constituency of 14 wards roughly 68 kilometres from Lusaka, and its local economy depends heavily on agriculture. The Constituency Development Fund has been the main channel for local projects during Sabao’s first term, and her own account of that period, 85 projects across all 14 wards, has not been independently itemised in public reporting.
Sabao was previously recognised with the Nelly Mutti Outstanding Woman MP Overall Award, according to the National Assembly of Zambia. What her second term adds to that record, in schools, roads, water points and agricultural support that reach Chikankata’s wards, will be the practical test of Tuesday’s promises.
The National Assembly’s swearing-in continues over several sittings before members proceed to elect a Speaker and hear the presidential address that formally opens the legislative programme for 2026 to 2031.
Related coverage
- Sabao makes Sunday appeal for another term in Chikankata
- HH Widens Gap to 225,971 Votes as ECZ Confirms 105 Constituencies
- Zambia Holds Its Breath: What the Wait for a Presidential Declaration Means for Business
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