Kinshasa, formerly named Léopoldville until 30 June 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-growing megacities, with an estimated population, in 2024, of 17,032,322. It is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the most populous city in Africa, the world's fourth-most-populous capital city, Africa's third-largest metropolitan area, and the leading economic, political, and cultural center of the DRC. Kinshasa houses several industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and entertainment. The city also hosts some of DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the People's Palace, Palace of the Nation, Court of Cassation, Constitutional Court, African Union City, Marble Palace, Martyrs Stadium, Government House, Kinshasa Financial Center, and other national departments and agencies.
Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba was a Congolese politician and the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), formerly the main opposition political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A long-time opposition leader, he served as Prime Minister of the country on three brief occasions: in 1991, 1992–1993, and 1997. He was also the father of the current President, Felix Tshisekedi.
The Pentacost Martyrs Stadium, or commonly referred to as the Stade des Martyrs, is the national stadium of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the Kinshasa commune of the capital Kinshasa. With a seating capacity of 80,000, it is the largest stadium in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the fourth-largest stadium in Africa. It serves as the home stadium for the Congolese football national team, Association Sportive Vita Club, and Daring Club Motema Pembe, making it the largest multifunctional venue in the country.
Bandalungwa is a commune in the Funa District of Kinshasa in the western region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Covering an area of 6.82 square kilometers, Bandalungwa is centrally situated within the city. It is bordered by the Gombe commune and the Kokolo military barracks to the north, Selembao to the south, the communes of Ngiri-Ngiri, Kasa-Vubu, and Lingwala to the east, and the Makelele River, Ngaliema, and Kintambo to the west. The commune had an estimated population of 934,821 in 2015, although official census data from 2016 reported a significantly lower figure of 259,760 residents.
Gombe, also known as La Gombe, or Downtown Kinshasa, is one of the 24 communes of Kinshasa, in the western part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Encompassing a vast area of approximately 29.33 square kilometers, it is home to an approximate population of 49,024 residents (2014).
The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The senate was established in 1960, abolished in 1967 and re-established in 2003.
The Société Commerciale des Transports et des Ports, formerly known as the Office d'Exploitation des Transports Coloniaux 1935–1959, then Office d'Exploitation des Transports au Congo 1960–1970, and Office National des Transports 1971–2011, is a state-owned enterprise headquartered in Kinshasa. The SCTP operates railways, ports, and inland barge transport in the northern and western regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along the Congo River. Established in 1935, its main office is strategically situated on Boulevard Du 30 Juin in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa.
Vital Kamerhe Lwa Kanyiginyi Nkingi is a Congolese politician, currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Economy and the leader of the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) party. He served as the President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2006 to 2009. After resigning from that office, he went into the opposition and founded the UNC. He ran in the 2011 presidential election. He supported Félix Tshisekedi as a coalition partner in the 2018 presidential election, and became chief of staff when Tshisekedi took office.
General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 30 December 2018, to determine a successor to President Joseph Kabila, as well as for the 500 seats of the National Assembly and the 715 elected seats of the 26 provincial assemblies. Félix Tshisekedi (UDPS) won the presidency with 38.6% of the vote, defeating Martin Fayulu and Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary (PPRD). Fayulu alleged that the vote was rigged against him by Tshisekedi and Kabila, challenging the result in the Constitutional Court. Election observers, including the Catholic Church, also cast doubt on the official result. Nonetheless, on 20 January the Court declared Tshisekedi the winner. Parties supporting Kabila won the majority of seats in the National Assembly. Tshisekedi was sworn in as the 5th President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 24 January 2019, the first peaceful transition of power in the country since its independence from Belgium in 1960.
Samy Badibanga Ntita is a Congolese politician who was Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from November 2016 to May 2017. He was also on the ballot for the 2018 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election as a presidential candidate.
Marcel Antoine Lihau or Ebua Libana la Molengo Lihau was a Congolese jurist, law professor and politician who served as the inaugural First President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Congo from 1968 until 1975, and was involved in the creation of two constitutions for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nicolas Kazadi is a Congolese politician and career diplomat who has been Ambassador-at-large for the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 7 March 2019 and Minister of Finance since 12 April 2021.
The National Museum of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a museum for the cultural history of the numerous ethnic groups and historical epochs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the capital Kinshasa. It was officially handed over to the Congolese government by representatives of the Republic of Korea in June 2019.
Eteni Longondo is a Congolese doctor and politician. He is a Member of the UDPS, and a Minister of Health in the Sylvestre Ilunga government since September 2019.
The Mémorial du Soldat Congolais is a 3-meter-tall memorial located at the FORESCOM Roundabout in Kinshasa's Gombe commune. The monument serves as a national tribute to the Congolese soldiers who fought and made the ultimate sacrifice throughout the country's tumultuous history, spanning from 1885 to the present day. Inaugurated on 28 July 2017, by former President Joseph Kabila, the monument was designed by Van Ntoto of Anko Design Corporation and constructed by a Congolese monumental sculptor, Christophe Meko Disengomoka. The memorial symbolizes remembrance, honor, and patriotism, providing visitors with a space to reflect on and pay tribute to the fallen soldiers who played a significant role in the nation's history.
The African Union City is a governmental complex situated in the Ngaliema commune of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located near Mont Ngaliema and serves as a venue for diplomatic and governmental functions.
Zacharie Badiengila, known as Ne Muanda Nsemi, was a Congolese religious leader and politician. He was leader of the political and religious movement Bundu dia Kongo (BDK).
The Kinshasa Financial Center is a financial hub strategically located in the Gombe commune of Kinshasa, in the western region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Covering a total area of 41,000 square meters, it is the largest financial center in the DRC. The center houses key institutions such as the Ministries of Finance and Budget, the General Directorates, the General Inspectorate of Finance, the General Secretariat of Finance, and the Development Bank. It is administered by the state-owned Investment Fund commercial entity, which supervises real estate assets like the financial and convention centers.
Le Premier is a shopping mall in Gombe, Kinshasa on Avenue de la Justice. Opened on 19 July 2016, it became Kinshasa's first shopping mall. It spans over 10,000 square meters, featuring a supermarket, numerous clothing boutiques, a food court, a bowling alley, banking services, a cinema, and leisure areas such as relaxation zones, care centers, and an international hotel school.
On 2 October 2024, Alexandra Martine Diengo Lumbayi, a 21-year-old Congolese international student at the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières (UQTR), was reported missing in the afternoon around Saint-Quentin Island in Trois-Rivières. Search efforts were organized promptly on 4–5 October to track her down. On Sunday, 6 October, divers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) collaborated with investigators from the Trois-Rivières Police Department to draft a strategic approach for underwater search missions. An SQ helicopter carried out reconnaissance flights over Saint-Quentin Island. On the same day, Diengo's mother, Rosemine Ndjondo, posted a TikTok video raising awareness about her daughter's disappearance. The video went viral, receiving over 5 million views and evoking a massive show of support on social media in Canada and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
