The political landscape in Zambia's Chawama constituency has seen a significant development ahead of the upcoming parliamentary by-election, necessitated by the prolonged absence of former Member of Parliament Tasila Lungu. The ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) was compelled to make a swift change to its candidature after its initial selection, Kantenga, was technically disqualified by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ).

UPND election chairman, Garry Nkombo, confirmed that Kantenga did not meet the statutory requirements set by the ECZ. Specifically, it was discovered during the verification of documents that while Kantenga was a registered voter, he had only registered last year, meaning his name was not included in the current Chawama voter's roll, a critical eligibility criterion for contesting the by-election. Nkombo emphasized that according to ECZ regulations, only individuals who are registered voters in Chawama, whose names appear on the current voters’ roll, and who participated in the 2021 General Elections in the constituency, are qualified to contest. The party's prompt action was crucial to avoid being barred from the parliamentary race and to ensure full compliance with electoral regulations.

Following Kantenga's disqualification, the UPND swiftly moved to nominate Morgan Muunda to carry the party's flag. Nkombo extended an apology to the public for the oversight, explaining that Kantenga graciously accepted the decision and offered his solidarity to Muunda. Indeed, Kantenga publicly endorsed Muunda, urging party members and supporters to rally behind the new candidate. Muunda, in turn, expressed gratitude for the party's confidence and outlined his priorities should he be elected. These include improving access to clean water and sanitation, and ensuring the effective utilization of the K40 million Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to enhance the livelihoods of the Chawama residents.

The ECZ, through Commissioner Major General Vincent Mukanda (Retired), has consistently stressed that all aspiring candidates must strictly meet eligibility criteria as provided by law, applying these rules equally to all political parties. The by-election has attracted significant interest, with a total of sixteen candidates expressing their intention to contest. Independent candidate George Mwenya was the first to file his nomination, expressing his commitment to completing ongoing development projects in Chawama. Besides the UPND, other political parties such as the FDD and NDC have also indicated their participation. Commissioner Mukanda described the atmosphere at the nomination centre as calm and peaceful, assuring that all candidates within the premises before the 15:00 hours official closing time would be attended to. This late change by the UPND underscores the critical importance of procedural compliance in Zambia’s electoral process as parties gear up for the upcoming polls.