Tshikapa, June 14th, 2026 (CPA). – A shortage of drinking water has been reported in Katanga, a locality in the Bapende sector of Tshikapa Territory, Kasaï Province, central Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), following a technical failure of a borehole system that has been out of service for nearly three years, CPA learned on Saturday from a local source. « The village of Katanga has been facing severe difficulties in accessing drinking water for almost three years. Residents struggle to obtain safe water for consumption and domestic use, especially during the current dry season, exposing them to waterborne diseases and illnesses caused by poor hygiene, » warned Fraddy Kitsunda, a resident of Katanga village.
Kitsunda called on provincial authorities and people of goodwill to intervene urgently to provide safe drinking water to the inhabitants of Katanga and protect them from recurrent water-related diseases affecting this part of Kasaï Province.
« To fetch water, women and young girls have to walk approximately 40 minutes each way over a mountainous road. Moreover, the water they use comes from an undeveloped natural spring. This is why we are appealing to decision-makers, particularly the political and administrative authorities, to act promptly in support of this vulnerable population so that they can gain access to safe drinking water, » he concluded.
Located along National Road No. 1 linking Kikwit and Kinshasa, Katanga village had previously benefited from a borehole financed by the World Bank. Installed within the premises of the local health area, the facility was intended to supply drinking water to approximately 23,000 residents of this health zone in Tshikapa Territory.