Partisan police a danger to 2026 poll – Sensio
By Tony Nkhoma
THE credibility and integrity of the 2026 general elections is at grave risk because of a visibly partisan Zambia Police Service command, former Kasenengwa member of Parliament Sensio Banda has said.
In an interview with The Mast warned the Zambia Police Service officers not to serve any political party but the people.
“The alleged partisan statements from senior officers collectively suggest a dangerous path. If unaddressed, this trend will not only continue to trample on the Bill of Rights but could also fundamentally compromise the fairness of the 2026 general elections, further eroding public trust and undermining the very foundation of Zambian democracy,” he said.
Banda said the politicisation of the police service, a critical institution of state governance, was a significant concern for the health of a democracy because it fundamentally compromised the rule of law and the constitutional rights of citizens.
“If the police are perceived as siding with the ruling government, they can be used to disrupt opposition campaigns, create security concerns that justify the cancellation of opposition events and fail to provide adequate protection to opposition candidates and supporters as has been alleged in past electoral periods,” he said.
Banda said the Zambia Police Service was not constitutionally designed to serve any political party or government of the day.
Its allegiance was to the republic and its Constitution.
“The mandate of the Zambia Police Service is clearly stipulated in the Constitution of Zambia [Amendment] Act No. 2 of 2016 [Article 193] and the Zambia Police Act, Chapter 107 of the Laws of Zambia,” he said.
Banda reminded the police not to abandon their mandate of protecting life and property and preserve peace and maintain law and order.
“When the police service acts as a partisan entity, its enforcement of laws becomes selective, directly resulting in the erosion or ‘trampling’ of fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution’s Bill of Rights” he said.
Banda said the politicisation of the Zambia Police Service had manifested because of the unequal application of laws, particularly the Public Order Act, which governed public gatherings.
“Selectively denying permits, cancelling rallies or using excessive force against opposition groups or critical civil society while allowing ruling party gatherings to proceed unimpeded like the solidarity match by United Party for National Development (UPND) in Chingola and Kitwe are not isolated events but by design because of senior police service officers who are partisan,” he said.
Banda said biased policing could deter citizens from joining or participating in opposition political parties or critical associations for fear of harassment, arrest, or violence, undermining multiparty democracy.
Banda said the ultimate stake was the legitimacy of the electoral outcome.
“When state institutions of governance are ‘weaponised’ by filling them with partisan individuals, the democratic contract where the public trusts that elections are free and fair is broken,” he said.
