13th Governors’ Conference in Kwilu

Kinshasa, January 22, 2026 - Preparations for the 13th session of the Governors’ Conference, scheduled to take place in Kwilu Province, were reviewed on Wednesday during a working meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting, chaired by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, brought together the Permanent Secretary of the Governors’ Conference, the Vice-Governor of Kwilu, the Director General of the Congolese Agency for Major Works (ACGT), and the Director General of Safrimex.

Discussions focused primarily on the progress of rehabilitation works at the Bandundu and Kikwit airports, particularly the runways and aprons, as well as on urban road projects, pending the announcement of new conference dates by the Head of State.

The Permanent Secretary, currently on mission in Bandundu, reported that urban road works are progressing normally. However, rehabilitation of the Bandundu airport runway and tarmac has been suspended following the termination of the contract between the Roads Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority. The initial contractor reportedly failed to demonstrate sufficient technical and financial capacity to complete the project within the required timeframe.

The contract has now been awarded to Safrimex, while feasibility studies continue under the coordination of the Congolese Agency for Major Works. Authorities emphasized the need to accelerate the process to ensure the mobility of conference participants. Priority will be given to reinforcing the runway and tarmac to allow the conference to proceed, while full airport construction will continue under the same company.

“The studies are complete. It is now up to the government to support Safrimex, the company in charge of the work in Bandundu. The government demands quality work so that Bandundu can have an airport worthy of its status and capable of supporting air traffic development,” said Jean-Rigobert Tshimanga, Permanent Secretary of the Governors’ Conference.

Kwilu Vice-Governor Professor Espoir Masamanki assured the public that preparations on the ground are continuing, particularly in terms of accommodation and site development, and that mobilization remains strong ahead of the announcement of new dates.

“We have explored several options to accelerate the Bandundu airport project so that, during the next visit, the Head of State and his guests can land under optimal conditions. In both Bandundu and Kikwit, the population is highly motivated and eagerly awaiting the new date,” he said.

Construction work at the Bandundu and Kikwit airports has been suspended since December 10, 2025. According to the Roads Authority, completion rates currently stand at 23% in Bandundu and 15% in Kikwit. Meanwhile, concrete work continues on Kwango Avenue near the Central Bank of Congo, along with the construction of drainage ditches, although temporary structures have yet to be installed.