This enquiry undertook a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of President Hakainde Hichilema’s inaugural speech rendered as a text on 24th August, 2021 at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, Zambia. The research was a micro-level analysis of linguistic features prevalent in the inaugural speech, and the collective and individual significance of linguistic choices made in the context of the text and to Zambia as a whole. Considering the multi-faceted theoretical disposition of CDA, the study utilised Fairclough’s (1989) 3 Dimensional (3D) Model to CDA which proposes a textual connectivity of discourse at three-levels of analysis. The study appealed to the descriptive research design encompassing the qualitative approach complemented by the quantitative approach nested in the constructivist and positivist paradigms of reality and knowledge generation. The findings of the study established that President Hichilema used conjunctions, auxiliaries, pronouns, antonyms and synonyms but never used any collocations or proverbs. It was further established that Hichilema’s use of each type of linguistic feature had some significance. Overall, conjunctions were used to talk about beings of the same status and to connect ideas, reveal mutual inclusiveness, add ideas, show gratitude to both local and international observers, manifest two opposite states of affairs, give confidence to his audience to accept him as the new president of Zambia, and assert the cause of change in government. Auxiliaries were used to express lamentations and commitment to promises made. Furthermore, pronouns were used in the inaugural speech to show confidence and command, express possessiveness and avoid discoursal repetition. Antonyms and synonyms were chosen to show negation and comparison. In addition, the numerical analysis revealed that Hichilema was statistically intentional in his use of coordinating conjunctions, first-person plural pronouns and synonyms. The findings of the study connote that inaugural speeches are unique and serve different purposes according to their context.