The police in a statement said Mr Lungu's exercise sessions while escorted by members of his Patriotic Front (PF) party and without his security officers amounted to "unlawful assembly".

The former head of state was ordered to notify police in advance when planning to jog in future "to ensure public safety and traffic management”.

"Mr Lungu should strictly adhere to security protocols and should refrain from any form of political activism," police spokesperson Rae Hamoonga said.

This comes a few days after Mr Lungu took the government to court after he was allegedly blocked from travelling to South Korea for a conference. He later withdrew the case.

After being in power for six years Mr Lungu lost the 2021 presidential election to Hakainde Hichilema. He is widely believed to be planning a comeback in the 2026 elections.