The United Party for National Development (UPND) has landed the tightly contested Kasama Mayoral by-election.
Kasama District Electoral Officer Innocent Mutambo declared UPND candidate Bywell Simposya the duly elected Mayor this evening, after he polled 17,647 votes.
The win saw the ruling party capturing the Northern Province capital for the first time.
Final results released by the Electoral Commission show:
– Bywell Simposya (UPND): 17,647
– Peter Yuda Chikweti (FDD): 14,303
– Aaron Zimba (Citizens First): 4,405
– Mukuka Kapambwe (UPPZ): 2,988
– Joseph Mubanga (Socialist Party): 2,211
– Mary Bukisa (New Focus Party): 472
A total of 42,929 votes were cast from 138,286 registered voters, underscoring low turnout, despite the fact that the result delivers high political impact.