Advanced disrepair of National Road number 1 in Kasai Central: the population trapped
The Kasai Central Province is currently facing a major problem: the very advanced state of disrepair of National Road number 1 (RN1) which connects Kananga to Mbuji-Mayi. The heavy rains that fell recently caused significant damage to this route, making it impassable. The local population, distraught, no longer knows where to turn to find a solution to this problem which has a direct impact on their daily life.
The inaction of the authorities is strongly denounced by the inhabitants of the region. They accuse the provincial authorities of neglecting and sabotaging the population by allowing the road to deteriorate to this extent. The consequences are disastrous: the population suffers from hunger because food can no longer be transported from the villages to the town of Kananga. Moreover, local produce cannot be evacuated to the markets either, leading to financial loss for local farmers and traders.
However, a few months ago, the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi, gave his agreement for the start of rehabilitation work on the RN1, as part of a project initiated by the Industrial Promotion Fund (FPI). The total cost of the project was over $400 million and the Egyptian Samcrete Group was selected to carry out the work. A first deposit of $27 million was paid to start the work.
However, kickbacks disrupted the project. Local financial decision-makers lobbied to award the contract to the African Development Bank (AfDB), arguing that the overall cost of the project was higher than the Egyptian company had initially presented. This maneuver resulted in a blocking of funding and delayed the continuation of the work.
The population of Kasai Central is today taken hostage by these political maneuvers. The delay in rehabilitating the road is endangering the local economy and complicating the daily life of residents. Furthermore, non-compliance with the agreements signed with the President of the Republic risks tarnishing the image of the country and compromising Félix Tshisekedi’s electoral campaign.
It is urgent that the authorities take concrete measures to resolve this problem and ensure the rehabilitation of National Road number 1 in Kasai Central. The region’s residents deserve a better quality of life and the ability to travel and trade easily. It is also essential to guarantee transparency and integrity in the execution of projects, without leaving room for corruption and kickbacks which only harm the development of the country.