Key takeaways
- A joint security operation in Kabulonga on August 13 led to arrests, a weapons seizure and an exchange of gunfire, according to Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa.
- Presidential candidate Brian Mundubile was named as present at the scene; his exact status and any charges against him have not been independently confirmed.
- The account follows days of conflicting reports about Mundubile’s whereabouts during a tense post-election period, including a police denial that he had been arrested.
- Investors and businesses with Zambia exposure should watch for further official clarification given the potential for market and currency volatility.
Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa says a joint security operation in Lusaka’s Kabulonga area on August 13 recovered high grade military weapons and led to an exchange of gunfire, with several people now in custody and a presidential candidate placed at the scene.
What happened
Zambian security agencies arrested a group of suspected militia members and other persons of interest during a joint operation at a premises in Kabulonga, Lusaka, on August 13, 2026. Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa told ZNBC News the individuals had been under surveillance for several years, with monitoring intensifying in recent months.
Kangwa said some of those involved were linked to military plans involving foreign nationals and to illegal military training camps, which he described as a threat to state security. He said the group was found in possession of high grade military weapons, ammunition and other materials for use in armed insurrection.
Occupants of the premises fired on law enforcement officers during the operation, resulting in an exchange of fire, Kangwa said. Some suspects fled the scene and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Those apprehended and now in custody include George Chisanga, Bishop Trevor Mwamba, Simon Phiri, Richard Banda, Francis Mulenga and Patrick Mwansa, held at various police stations in Lusaka. Kangwa said they have been charged and that their families and lawyers will be given access to them.
Kangwa said senior members of certain political parties were also present at the scene, and he named NRPUP presidential candidate Brian Mundubile among those found there. He gave no further detail on what role, if any, Mundubile is alleged to have played, or what charges, if any, he faces.
A contested and fast moving story
The operation lands in the middle of one of the most volatile stretches of Zambia’s 2026 election period. Mundubile, the closest challenger to incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema, had declared himself the winner of the presidential vote days earlier and called on the Electoral Commission of Zambia to preserve ballot boxes and publish results by polling station.
What followed was a rapid, conflicting sequence of claims. Reports first circulated that Mundubile had been arrested and was being held at Twin Palm Police Station in Ibex. Police spokesperson Godfrey Chilabi dismissed those reports as false and warned that anyone deliberately spreading misleading information during the post-election period could face legal action. Mundubile’s running mate, Makebi Zulu, separately alleged that more than 40 soldiers had removed Mundubile and his wife from their Kabulonga residence. Mundubile himself later confirmed he was being interrogated by Zambia Army officers over two videos he had released, without disclosing his location or the nature of the allegations against him.
Reports also emerged that former Lunte MP Mutotwe Kafwaya was shot during the incident and taken to Maina Soko Military Hospital, where his wife said she was denied access to see him.
Kangwa’s statement is the first official, on the record account tying the Kabulonga operation to a militia and weapons seizure, and the first to place Mundubile specifically at that scene rather than at his residence. It has not resolved the earlier contradictions between the police denial and the army interrogation, and The Zambian Economist has not independently verified Mundubile’s current whereabouts or legal status. This remains a developing story and will be updated as confirmed details emerge.
Why it matters for Zambia’s economy and investors
Election related instability carries a direct cost. Zambia entered its 2026 vote with an IMF programme in place and Eurobond investors watching closely for signs of policy continuity after the restructuring completed in recent years. Contested election outcomes, allegations of armed insurrection and uncertainty over a leading opposition candidate’s status are the kind of headlines that widen sovereign bond spreads and slow foreign direct investment decisions, regardless of how the underlying facts are eventually resolved.
Business leaders and investors watching Zambia should treat the coming days as a period of elevated political risk. Firms with exposure to Lusaka operations, and diaspora and international readers tracking Zambia’s kwacha and Eurobond pricing, should expect volatility until the Electoral Commission’s results process and the legal status of those detained are both clarified.
What to watch next
- Whether formal charges against Mundubile, if any, are confirmed by the Zambia Police Service or the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- The Electoral Commission of Zambia’s results announcement and whether Mundubile’s camp pursues a legal challenge.
- Market reaction in Zambia’s Eurobond pricing and kwacha exchange rate over the coming week.
- Any statement from the Zambia Army clarifying its role alongside the police in the Kabulonga operation.
Related coverage
- Hichilema Urges Patience as Mundubile Claims Victory Before ECZ Declares a Winner
- Zambia’s Vote Count Enters a Tense Third Day, With ECZ Still the Only Verified Source
- ECZ Lifts Vote-Count Suspension as Zambia’s Election Stays Unsettled Between Rival Claims
- HH Widens Gap to 225,971 Votes as ECZ Confirms 105 Constituencies
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