Second inauguration of Hakainde Hichilema

Second Inauguration of Hakainde Hichilema

Date	1 September 2026 (2026-09-01)
Participants	Hakainde Hichilema 7th president of Zambia — Assuming office Mutale Nalumango 14th vice president of Zambia — Assuming office

The second inauguration of Hakainde Hichilema, as President of Zambia, will take place on 1 September 2026, when he will be sworn in for his second and final term, with Mutale Nalumango continuing as Vice President of Zambia. It will be the 15th presidential inauguration and the first since Levy Mwanawasa in 2006 in which an incumbent Zambian president will be sworn in for a full second consecutive term after winning re-election. The ceremony will be held at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. The day of the inauguration was declared a public holiday in Zambia.

Planning

Zambia Army making the stage at Heroes Stadium.

Preparations for the inauguration were under way at National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka in August 2026. By 19 August, upgrades to the VIP facilities had been carried out, while carpeting, tiling, landscaping and plumbing works had been completed. The Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts, Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Zambia National Service and Zambia Air Force were involved in the preparations.

Hichilema is scheduled to be sworn in on 1 September 2026, following the expiry of the period for challenging the presidential election result. Under Article 103(1) of the Constitution of Zambia, a candidate may petition the Constitutional Court within seven days of the declaration of a President-elect. Hichilema was declared the winner on 18 August, making 25 August the deadline for filing a petition.

On 25 August, Chief Justice Mumba Malila said he had received an email from a member of the public containing a document described as "the people's presidential petition", seeking to challenge Hichilema's re-election. The Judiciary described the method of submission as irregular because it had been sent to the Chief Justice's private email address. Malila referred the document to the Constitutional Court to determine whether it could constitute a valid petition. A separate statement from the Constitutional Court Registry said that no petition had been recorded as of 18:00 on 24 August.

As the inauguration approaches, the government also outlined its priorities for Hichilema's second term. Ministry of Information and Media spokesperson Henry Kapata said the government would pursue the 10-10-5-3-3-1-1 development framework, which includes targets for electricity generation, maize, copper, soybeans and wheat production, international tourism and beef exports.

Dignitaries

Several foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the inauguration. On 28 August 2026, the Chinese government confirmed that Xi Jinping, President of China, had appointed Xian Hui, Vice-Chairperson of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, as his special envoy to attend the inauguration on his behalf. Xian Hui was scheduled to attend the ceremony at the invitation of the Zambian government.

Government representatives

Country	Representative	Position	Representing
China	Xian Hui	Vice-Chairperson of the National Committee of the CPPCC	President Xi Jinping

See also

• First presidency of Hakainde Hichilema
• Timeline of the Hakainde Hichilema presidency
• First Inauguration of Hakainde Hichilema
• 2026 General elections