Kikwit, March 23rd, 2026 (CPA).- The Minister of State in charge of Water Resources and Electricity has inaugurated on Monday in Kikwit, the Kakobola hydroelectric dam in Kwilu Province, in the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, with an estimated installed capacity of 10.5 megawatts in the territory of Gungu, intended to supply this province, according to a statement from the relevant ministry consulted by CPA. “Molendo Sakombi, Minister of State in charge of Water Resources and Electricity, has proceeded with the inauguration of the Kakobola hydroelectric dam prior to the arrival of the Head of State, to enable him to symbolically launch the power supply from this energy infrastructure in the city,” the source has specified. The Kakobola dam is a hydroelectric power station launched in 2010, with construction work have been funded to the tune of approximately USD 55 million to electrify the towns of Kikwit, Gungu and Idiofa.
However, the project has faced delays and is now scheduled to come into service in early 2026. This project has been financed by the government and the India Exim Bank and is being carried out by the Indian company Angelique to supply the city of Kikwit and the territories of Gungu and Idiofa. It has interred its finalisation and testing phase in 2024–2025, a period during which delays in its commissioning have been reported following threats to the site from erosion. The much-anticipated commissioning of this dam will boost energy development in Kwilu province.
The Kakobola project has a capacity of 10.5 MW, comprising three units of 3.5 MW each. This dam is the first and only one to have been built in this province since the colonial era.