President Hakainde Hichilema has formally asked the National Assembly to approve a sweeping reshuffle of government ministries, less than two months into his second term. State House announced the request in Lusaka on Monday 26 October 2026, saying the changes will make government work more efficiently for Zambians.
The President wrote to Parliament under Article 92(2)(d) of the Republican Constitution, asking lawmakers to approve what State House called the proposed establishment, merger and dissolution of government ministries, according to LusakaTimes.com. Chief Communications Specialist Clayson Hamasaka signed the press release.
Now, before anyone gets carried away, let us be clear about what this means for the ordinary Zambian. This is our government, paid for by our taxes, our copper, our sweat. And the people deserve to know exactly which ministries are being created, which are being buried, and how much of our money this will cost. So far, State House has told us none of that.
What exactly is the President asking for?
Vice-President Mutale Nalumango will move the motion in the House. She will ask Members of Parliament to approve a plan that creates new ministries, merges some existing ones and closes others. The press release does not name a single ministry affected, and it gives no date for the debate.
State House says the restructuring will make sure the machinery of government fully supports the Grow Zambia Agenda, the economic message of the President's second term. Open Zambia reports the realignment is framed entirely around that agenda, while Zambia Monitor quotes Hamasaka saying the measure is meant to enhance the efficiency of government.
The President has also issued a direct appeal to lawmakers. State House says he has called on Members of Parliament to support the realignment, which he says is in the best interest of the country.
Zambians deserve the details before the vote
Here is where the people's voice must be heard. Until the list is published, civil servants, the private sector and ordinary citizens are left guessing how these changes will hit departments, budgets and jobs. Will a worker in a ministry slated for merger keep their job? Will new permanent secretaries be appointed, new vehicles bought, new offices fitted out, all on the taxpayer's kwacha?
Opposition MPs are expected to raise exactly those questions. The ruling United Party for National Development likely has the numbers to pass the motion, but numbers in the House do not silence the streets. Zambians remember the promises. What they want now is service delivery, clinics with medicine, schools with teachers, and a mining sector that works for Zambia first.
A different approach from 2021
This is not the first time President Hichilema has redrawn the map of government. Soon after taking office in August 2021, he created several new ministries, including the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, the Ministry of Technology and Science, and the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development. He also merged or dissolved others.
That 2021 restructuring triggered a public fight over whether ministries could be changed before the National Assembly approved it, and Parliament took up the matter in September 2021. Some commentators argued at the time that the President had broken no law.
Credit where it is due. This time the constitutional basis is set out up front, and Parliament is being asked first, before anything takes effect. That is how it should be done. The Constitution belongs to the Zambian people, not to any one occupant of State House, and any leader who respects that order deserves a fair hearing.
Grow Zambia and the mining question
The bigger story behind this reshuffle is where the President wants to take the country. His recent public statements point to growth, investment and the mining sector at the centre of the second term. On 19 October he warned mining licence holders who are sitting on concessions without developing them to use it or lose it.
That is language Zed Nation can support. Our copper, our cobalt, our emeralds must not become parking lots for foreign speculators who hold licences for years and develop nothing. Zambians have watched for too long while outsiders carved up our wealth and our people stayed poor. If this ministry reshuffle puts muscle behind a use it or lose it policy, then it will have earned its keep. If it is just a reshuffling of chairs and titles, the people will see through it fast.
Mwebantu reports the President's letter covers the establishment, merger and dissolution of ministries, while The Zambian Observer says the restructuring is also meant to strengthen economic coordination. The message from every outlet is the same: the details are coming only when the Vice-President tables the motion.
What happens next in Parliament
The motion will be one of the first big government matters the new House deals with. President Hichilema was sworn in for a second term in early September following the August 2026 general election, and he had been expected to open the new Parliament on 9 October.
Once Parliament approves, new ministries will need ministers appointed, staff moved around and budget lines redrawn. Those adjustments will then show up in the national budget. Every kwacha spent on this exercise should be accounted for in that budget, in black and white, where every Zambian can read it.
Presidents often reorganise ministries at the start of a term to shape government around their campaign promises. Fine. But the test is not the structure on paper. The test is whether a farmer in Mpika, a trader in Soweto market and a miner on the Copperbelt feel the difference. That is the only approval that finally counts.
FAQ
What did President Hichilema ask Parliament to approve?
On 26 October 2026 he asked the National Assembly, under Article 92(2)(d) of the Constitution, to approve the establishment, merger and dissolution of government ministries to support the Grow Zambia Agenda.
Which ministries are affected?
State House has not named any of the ministries to be created, merged or dissolved. The list is expected when Vice-President Mutale Nalumango tables the motion in the House.
Who will move the motion in Parliament?
Vice-President Mutale Nalumango will move the motion and ask MPs to approve the plan.
Has Hichilema restructured ministries before?
Yes. In August 2021, soon after taking office, he created new ministries including Green Economy and Environment, and Technology and Science, and merged or dissolved others, which sparked a debate over constitutional procedure.