Kinshasa, May 11th, 2025 (CPA) – Construction work on the Grand Katende hydroelectric dam in the province of Kasaï Central in the center of the Democratic Republic of Congo was launched on Saturday in Kinshasa, using the government’s own funds, at a ceremony organized by the Ministry of Hydraulic Resources.
‘My colleague in charge of finance and I were instructed by the Head of State to explore all options for re-launching the Grand Katende dam construction project, and we reached a decision in the Council of Ministers to re-launch the work with funding from the Congolese government, after a number of discussions’, said Teddy Lwamba, Minister for Water Resources and Electricity. ‘It became clear that the DRC’s own funding would be the best option, as long as the advantages are there, in order to adapt solutions to our own realities and solve development problems’, he continued. Mr Tddy Lwamba pointed out that the contractors had been recruited in accordance with the procurement procedures and regulations in force in the DRC.
The government now has the freedom of action it needs to carry out this project and diversify its services, so there will be no further delays in implementation. To this end, two companies are sharing this integrating project, namely the construction of the Grand Katende hydroelectric dam and the supply of energy to the population. These are Angélique International Limited and Mining Engineering Services (Mes).
‘According to him, in 24 months‘ time the first phase of construction of the Katende dam will be completed, and the two turbines, each with a capacity of 16 megawatts, will be up and running, giving a total of 32 megawatts. The line that will run to Kananga will also be ready in no more than 48 months’ time.
For his part, Doudou Fwamba, Minister of Finance, said he was willing to make every effort to make the necessary funds available so that the project could be completed. He also announced that a ministerial decree would be put in place to provide legal backing for the Grand Katende project. Doudou Fwamba also announced that in the coming days a ceremony would be organized in Kasaï Centrale, in front of the province’s notables, as a way of reinforcing local opinion of the project. The ceremony was attended by a number of key figures, including members of government, MPs and senators, notables from the greater Kasai region and young people from civil society. This integrated hydroelectricity project should benefit the population of Greater Kasai, and is in line with the vision of the Head of State, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, who wants to offer quality basic water and electricity services to the population. Work on this power station had been at a standstill since 2016, we were reminded. CPA/