Kinshasa, June 22nd, 2025 (CPA) – At least three (3) months have been required to complete reconstruction work on the central market in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the construction of septic tanks and boreholes, according to a video from the town hall received by CPA on Sunday. ‘The contractor gave us an overview of the work already carried out and what remains to be done. He explained that there is still a space of five thousand (5000) stalls to be added for water tanks and the construction of septic tanks for the boreholes. The contractor said he could complete the work in three (3) months’, said Daniel Bumba, Governor of Kinshasa, in the video.
‘We are building momentum so that this major trading center, which will be profitable for the city of Kinshasa, can finally become operational. I ask the population to be patient. We are in the process of shaking things up so that the central market is finally operational. This will help us to put an end to all the pirate markets throughout the city’, added the source. ‘It was necessary for us to come and get a feel for the real situation. We understand that the central market has an important functional role for the city of Kinshasa. We have seen that the reconstruction work has been done. It’s already been three (3) years’, he continued.
View of Kinshasa’s central market under reconstruction
According to the governor in this video, the reopening of the central market is one of the concerns of the people of Kinshasa. ‘We’ve been talking about it for a long time without a single sign,’ he insisted. Work to rebuild Kinshasa’s central market has gone through several stages. In March 2021, work began with the demolition of the old buildings. This was followed by the soil survey, launched on April 11th, 2022. The foundation phase finally got under way in July of the same year. According to the initial schedule, the work should be completed in fourteen (14) months.
The progress of reconstruction work on the Central Market the subject of a visit
The delegation of provincial MPs visiting the reconstruction work on Kinshasa’s Central Market
In the same vein, the progress of reconstruction work on the Central Market in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, was the subject of a visit on Saturday by a delegation of provincial MPs, led by the Vice-President of the Provincial Assembly of the Congolese capital, as part of their parliamentary oversight. ‘It was imperative for us, the elected representatives of Kinshasa, to come and see how the work was progressing, because the Central Market is a major economic and social issue for our fellow citizens. We must be accountable to the electorate’, said Norbertine Matanda, MP for the Lemba electoral district, who was part of the delegation led by Germaine Tshinyama, Vice-President of the Kinshasa Provincial Assembly (APK).
The visit was part of a parliamentary oversight exercise enabling the provincial councilors to check on the progress of this major project launched by the urban authorities in 2020. The technical visit followed an official invitation from the governor of Kinshasa, Daniel Bumba, who was keen for the provincial MPs to see for themselves how the work was progressing. The Central Market of Kinshasa, also known as ‘Zando’ by the people of Kinshasa, is one of the oldest and largest popular shopping centers in the Congolese capital. It was inaugurated in 1944 during the colonial era. Before it was closed for renovation, the site welcomed several thousand traders and shoppers every day from various parts of the city. Decayed by time and insalubrity, it represented a real health and urban planning challenge for the authorities. The aim of the rehabilitation project was to completely modernize the market, build new pavilions, install modern equipment, improve the internal road system, improve access to water and electricity services, and introduce a more efficient management system.