FACT CHECK | Did the UPND Aspiring Candidate for Kapoche Constituency Resign?

By Ennety Munshya

Claim

A Facebook page operating under the name Chipata EP Legacy claims that the United Party for National Development (UPND) aspiring parliamentary candidate for Kapoche Constituency in Eastern Province has resigned from the party.

The post includes a resignation letter purportedly written by Dr. Bestty Phiri and addressed to the UPND Provincial Chairperson for Eastern Province.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from the United Party for National Development (UPND) for personal reasons,” reads part of the letter.

What did MakanDay check?

MakanDay examined the following question:

• Was Dr. Phiri the UPND’s adopted parliamentary candidate for Kapoche Constituency when he resigned from the party?

What the evidence shows

MakanDay established that Dr. Bestty Phiri did resign from the UPND. His resignation letter was published on his official Facebook page, confirming that he had stepped down from the party.

However, the available evidence shows that Dr. Phiri was not the UPND’s adopted parliamentary candidate for Kapoche Constituency.

Information reviewed by MakanDay shows that Luckson Lungu was adopted by the UPND as its parliamentary candidate for Kapoche Constituency ahead of the 2026 General Election.

Posts on Dr. Phiri’s official Facebook page indicate that he had sought the UPND adoption for the Kapoche parliamentary seat but was not selected during the party’s adoption process.

In a telephone interview with MakanDay, Dr. Phiri confirmed that he had sought adoption as the UPND parliamentary candidate for Kapoche Constituency but was not adopted. He further confirmed that he is not contesting the Kapoche parliamentary seat as an independent candidate.

His resignation letter also does not state that he was the UPND’s adopted parliamentary candidate. It simply communicates his decision to resign from the party.

Verdict

Claim: The UPND aspiring candidate for Kapoche Constituency has resigned.

Rating: False

Dr. Bestty Phiri did resign from the UPND. However, the Facebook post incorrectly identifies him as the UPND parliamentary candidate for Kapoche Constituency. The available evidence shows that while he sought the party’s adoption, he was not selected as its candidate. Dr. Phiri also confirmed to MakanDay that he is not contesting as an independent candidate in the constituency. Therefore, the claim is false.