The advanced state of disrepair of National Road number 1 (RN1) in the Kasai Central province is causing great concern among the local population. Recent heavy rains have worsened the situation, making the road impassable and disrupting the daily lives of residents in the region.
The RN1 should connect Kananga to Mbuji-Mayi, two large towns in the province. However, due to the inaction of local authorities, the road is abandoned, causing a lot of damage, particularly at the Maréchal market and the Muamba Mbuyi village. The consequences of this situation are disastrous. Residents suffer from food supply difficulties, while farmers cannot transport their products to the town of Kananga.
However, projects to rehabilitate the RN1 had been launched. In February 2021, the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, gave his agreement for the start of the work, initiated by the Industrial Promotion Fund (FPI) in partnership with the Egyptian Samcrete Group. A contract worth more than 400 million USD had been signed for the construction of a 188 km high-quality road, with a lifespan of 50 years.
However, obstacles stood in the way of this work. Some local financial decision-makers have expressed their desire to entrust the project to the African Development Bank (AfDB), arguing that the overall cost will be higher than that proposed by Samcrete. Informed sources revealed that this decision was motivated by greed, with a kickback of 16 million dollars for those involved in the file with the ADB, while no kickback was planned with Samcrete.
This situation led to a blocking of funds, with a ban on payment of the deposit agreed with Samcrete, issued by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF). Despite questions from the commercial bank responsible for payment, the process remained blocked, fueling the idea that the contract could ultimately be entrusted to the ADB.
This situation endangers the image of the country and compromises the development of the region. Unilaterally terminating an agreement made before the Head of State risks discouraging investors and weakening the electoral campaign of Félix Tshisekedi, who wishes to run for a second term.
The population of Kasai Central continues to suffer from the consequences of the deplorable state of the RN1. It is urgent that the authorities take the necessary measures to remedy this situation, in order to allow the economic and social development of the region and to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants.