Kasai, a region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) suffers from isolation and poverty. Since coming to power in 2018, the president, Félix Tshisekedi, has nevertheless initiated a few projects to restore some oxygen to the region, but nothing seems to be progressing.
One of the most annoying cases is that of the Mbuji-Mayi-Kananga road, 188 km long. However, the State has already disbursed US$27 million to the Egyptian company SAMCRETE to carry out the work. To date, only 17 km of unpaved roads around Mbuji-Mayi have started work.
What is going on ? Financial embezzlement is suspected. Combinations in folders are not excluded. Thus, the 100 days project, a government measure to revitalize the functioning of the state, was a perfect illustration of the scheming. As a reminder, the state spent money, individuals took it and no one was severely punished.
If the projects are floundering, there is no need to look for scapegoats. The officials are not innocent, according to sleuths who have detected questionable practices. The worm would be in the fruit. Delays are observed in the execution of works, especially when we take for example, the construction of the University of Mbuji-Mayi, the port of Ndomba, the solar power plant of Tshipuka and the Kananga-Kalamba-Mbuji road which leads to Angola.
The governor of Kasaï central John Kabeya Shikayi did not hesitate to tackle the Minister of Public Works, Alexis Gisaro, for his dangerous and obscure trajectory in the management of the Kananga-Kalamba-Mbuji road dossier. Gisaro wants to assign another section to SAMCRETE or sever the one the Egyptians are already working on.
Finance Minister Nicolas Kazadi Kadima, a technocrat with a proven track record in the financial sector and in international institutions, was also disappointed. He signed a comfort letter for SAMCRETE only to change his mind a month later, and was recently assaulted by state officials. He is accused of blocking many files for no reason and of having opened dark accounts in private banks.
In the Kasai region, the Kananga-Mbuji-Mayi road under construction seems to be a perfect illustration of the immobility that is hampering the development of this landlocked and poor region. The financial embezzlement observed, the delay in the execution of the works and the dissensions between the officials are not to facilitate the task of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi who has nevertheless initiated projects in this region.
To learn more about other news from the DRC, you can consult our articles on our blog