Why Police Arrested Kasama Mayor

By Angela Mtambo in Kasama

For more than a month after an alleged unlawful entry at the residence of Northern Province Acting Permanent Secretary Beauty Undi-Phiri, Kasama mayor Peter Yuda Chikweti remained uncharged.

Then, on September 25, 2026, police picked him up at Wamulungwe Lodge in Kasama, where he was attending a meeting with persons with disabilities. He was taken into custody and later charged with criminal trespass over the August 14 incident.

Police allege that Yuda, together with other people, unlawfully entered Undi-Phiri’s residence with the intention of intimidating her and members of her family.

Yuda denies involvement.

His arrest has brought renewed attention to events surrounding Zambia’s August 13 general election and, in particular, allegations that pre-marked ballot papers had been taken to Undi-Phiri’s residence.

No publicly established evidence has shown that pre-marked ballot papers were at the property.

But questions remain about how an election-day allegation, an incident at the home of a senior government official and a police investigation eventually resulted in the arrest of Kasama’s mayor more than a month later.

How it started

Voting in Kasama on August 13 was generally peaceful.

But during the day, allegations began circulating that vehicles carrying pre-marked ballot papers had been directed to the residence of Undi-Phiri, the acting Northern Province Permanent Secretary.

No evidence was publicly established at the time showing that pre-marked ballot papers had been taken to the residence.

Later that day, Undi-Phiri visited Chiba modern market polling station.

Her presence attracted attention against the background of the allegations circulating in the area. There was, however, no reported discovery of pre-marked ballot papers or other unauthorised election materials in her possession at the polling station.

The following day, August 14, events escalated.

According to Undi-Phiri’s account, people went to her residence and searched the house and a vehicle while looking for pre-marked ballot papers.

She said nothing was found.

Police were subsequently called to the residence.

In a statement issued on August 14, Inspector General of Police Graphel Musamba said police were investigating what he described as an attack on Undi-Phiri’s residence involving suspected supporters of the National Reconciliation Party for Unity and Prosperity (NRPUP).

Police described the group as armed and said one suspect had been picked and was in custody.

Where Yuda comes in

Yuda’s name subsequently became linked to the incident.

Undi-Phiri told the reporters that she recognised one of the people involved and that the person linked the visit to Yuda.

Yuda strongly disputes that account.

In an interview with Radio Mano, he said he had never interacted with Undi-Phiri before the incident and denied instructing anyone to go to her residence.

He also said he was not at his home at the time of the incident and denied any involvement.

His account is therefore at odds with the allegation linking him to the people who went to Undi-Phiri’s residence.

What does the criminal trespass charge mean?

Police formally charged Yuda with one count of criminal trespass under Section 306 of Zambia’s Penal Code.

Under that provision, criminal trespass involves entering into or upon property in another person’s possession with the intent to commit an offence, or to intimidate, insult or annoy the person in possession, or unlawfully remaining there with such intent.

Police allege that Yuda and others entered Undi-Phiri’s residence without lawful authority and intended to intimidate her and members of her family.

This means the criminal trespass allegation does not necessarily depend on police proving that pre-marked ballot papers existed at the residence.

The circumstances surrounding the ballot-paper allegation may help explain why people allegedly went to the property, but the criminal case against Yuda centres on whether he was involved in the alleged unlawful entry and whether the elements required for criminal trespass can be proved.

Yuda denies involvement in the incident.

What happened to the suspect taken into custody on August 14?

There are also unanswered questions about the people police initially said were involved.

On August 14, Musamba said one suspect had been picked and was in police custody following the incident at Undi-Phiri’s residence. Police have not publicly clarified whether that person was subsequently charged, released or cleared of involvement.

But when police announced Yuda’s arrest more than a month later, they said he had allegedly acted with other people whose identities had not yet been established and that investigations were continuing to identify and take them into custody.

Why was Yuda arrested more than a month later?

Another unanswered question is why police waited more than a month after the August 14 incident before taking Yuda into custody.

Police have not publicly explained when Yuda first became a suspect, what evidence linked him to the alleged unlawful entry, or whether investigators had attempted to question or summon him before September 25.

His spokesperson, Raymond Chola, described the arrest as politically motivated and said no police call-out had been issued before Yuda was picked up. MakanDay has not independently established that claim.

Police have said investigations into the August 14 incident are continuing, but have not publicly explained what developments in those investigations led to Yuda being charged more than a month later.

From January defeat to August victory

The arrest comes at the end of a politically turbulent period for Yuda in Kasama.

In January 2026, he contested the Kasama mayoral by-election on the Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) ticket following the death of mayor Theresa Kolala in December 2025.

Yuda lost to the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) candidate Bywell Simposya.

Simposya received 17,647 votes against Yuda’s 14,302. But the election was accompanied by allegations of electoral malpractice, intimidation and inducements.

MakanDay subsequently reported allegations that some voters had surrendered voter and national registration cards in exchange for money. Opposition councillors also alleged that they had been offered financial incentives to change political allegiance or support the ruling party.

The UPND rejected allegations of intimidation and inducements.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia later confirmed that it had received a formal complaint from the FDD alleging that UPND supporters were giving voters money and collecting voter cards.

ECZ said the complainant did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegations before the district conflict management committee.

However, because the allegations were criminal in nature, the commission said the matter had been referred to the Anti-Corruption Commission and Zambia Police for further investigation.

ECZ also said collecting voters’ cards or requesting their details in the manner alleged was illegal under electoral regulations.

Seven months later, Yuda returned to the ballot for the August 13 general election, this time standing on the NRPUP ticket. The result was markedly different.

Yuda won the Kasama mayoral election with 54,269 votes, defeating Simposya, who received 16,589 votes.

He was subsequently declared mayor-elect.

It was the following day, August 14, that the incident at Undi-Phiri’s residence occurred.

Attempts to secure police bond

Following Yuda’s arrest, his lawyers, relatives and supporters sought police bond.

They were informed that bond could not be granted at the time because investigations were continuing.

As of 01 October, Yuda remained in police custody and, according to information available to MakanDay at the time, had not appeared before court.

Angela Mtambo is an investigative journalist based in Kasama and a former MakanDay fellow. This story was edited and fact-checked by MakanDay.