Kinshasa, January 26th, 2025 (CPA) – The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), arrived on Monday in Kananga, main town of the province of Kasai-Central in the centre of the country, will proceed on Tuesday with the inauguration of several projects, including the new buildings of the university named the same as the town, according to a statement from the provincial Governor. ‘This visit by our country’s first citizen is part of the inauguration of the University of Kananga (UNIKAN), built on his initiative,’ it is read in the document signed by Mr Ngandu Lukadi, chief of staff to Governor Joseph-Moise Kambulu. In addition to the inauguration of the new university, President Tshisekedi will hold talks with the members of the provincial executive, the provincial assembly and the traditional authorities, before receiving a number of dignitaries wishing to meet him, according to a statement from the State Protocol Office. As he stepped off the plane, President Felix Tshisekedi has been welcomed by the provincial governor, heading a welcoming committee composed notably of the Minister of State in charge of Infrastructure and national deputies elected from Kasai-Central. After this round of greetings, he has walked from the airport to his residence, accompanied by a large crowd mobilised for the circumstance.
Inspection of the Kananga–Kalamba–Mbuji road works
During his tour of the city, he has also inspected the modernisation works on the Kananga–Kalamba–Mbuji road, carried out by Chinese companies. Known as the ‘road of hope’, this 230 km road has the advantage of opening up the provinces of Kasai and facilitating trade with Angola. President Tshisekedi has reviewed this city two years after his last visit in December 2024, as part of a tour of several provinces in the Kasai region. The opportunity will be given to him to see the progress of numerous construction projects that are nearing completion and several others that are still underway. These include projects carried out on behalf of the Local Development Programme for the 145 territories, which provides for hospitals, schools and administrative buildings. The University of Kananga has been renovated thanks to a government programme focused on the construction and modernisation of university infrastructure in all provinces of the country. Upon his arrival in Kananga on Sunday, the Minister in charge of Infrastructure and Public Works, John Banza, has visited the University of Kananga (UNIKAN), located in the Katambayi district of the municipality of Kananga. This is mainly to assess the actual state of the works under construction around the university site, particularly in areas affected by erosion, according to his communications unit.