Kikwit

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Kikwit
City
Ville de Kikwit
Kikwit city center - Mapillary (592498446859135).jpg
Kikwit city centre in 2025
Democratic Republic of the Congo adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Kikwit
Location in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Coordinates: 5°02′19″S18°49′05″E / 5.03861°S 18.81806°E / -5.03861; 18.81806
Country Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg DR Congo
Province Kwilu Province
City status 1970
Communes Kazamba, Lukemi, Lukolela, Nzinda
Government
 • MayorAbe Ngiama [1]
Area
 • Total
92 km2 (36 sq mi)
Elevation
470 m (1,540 ft)
Population
 • Estimate 
(2020)
1,336,992
Demonym Kikwitois [2]
Time zone UTC+1 (West Africa Time)
Climate Aw

Kikwit is the largest city of Kwilu Province, in the southwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Located at the furthest navigable point of the Kwilu River, the urban area of Kikwit is primarily on its left bank. The city has over half of a million inhabitants. Kikwit is divided into four communes, with decentralised leadership: Kazamba, Lukemi, Lukolela, and Nzinda.

Contents

Originating as a small village, Kikwit was developed by Belgian colonists in the late 19th century and became a center of ivory and rubber trade. After the establishment of the Belgian Congo, Kikwit was granted to the company Huileries du Congo Belge , which established palm oil plantations in the 1910s and 1920s. Kikwit became an important administrative center as well as the largest producer of palm oil in the Kwilu region. Beginning in 1959, Kikwit was a center of political activities of the Parti Solidaire Africain . The region around the city was impacted by the Kwilu rebellion and Simba rebellion of the 1960s, but Kikwit was not a conflict zone. Kikwit's economy and infrastructure declined by the 1990s. In 1995, the city saw an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. The first municipal elections were held in 2023.

Kikwit's population is comprised largely of the Pende and Mbala  [ fr ] ethnic groups and speaks the Kikongo and Lingala languages. The city has thousands of migrants, including workers from rural areas. Most of the population is Catholic, and the city is the headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Kikwit. Economic activities in Kikwit include agriculture and informal enterprises. The city has a high rate of poverty and of youth unemployment, which contributes to criminal activity such as Kuluna  [ fr ] gangs. The city has poor infrastructure such as electricity. Kikwit is served by a single highway, National Road 1, and by Kikwit Airport.

History

Kikwit in the 1950s View of Kikwit (1950-1960, Kikwit, Congo belge).jpg
Kikwit in the 1950s

Kikwit was a small village prior to Belgian colonisation. [3] It was a historical center of the trade of wax derived from caterpillars. [4] Belgian colonist further developed the town with the goal of exploiting resources. [3] Kikwit became a regional center of the ivory and rubber industries in the late 19th century, under the leadership of the Société anonyme belge pour le commerce du Haut-Congo . [5] The town received services and infrastructure such as a paved highway and electricity. [3]

The Belgian Congo government was established in 1908 and began making deals with private companies. These included granting the Leverville concession—including Kikwit—to the Huileries du Congo Belge (HCB) company, which received exclusive rights over palm oil farming. [5] Palm oil plantations were established around the city in the 1910s and 1920s. [6] Under Leverville rule, Kikwit grew as an administrative centre. The city was racially segregated into the cité européenne and the cité indigène. [7] The Office d'Exploitation des Transports Coloniaux conducted steamboat trips between Kikwit and Kinshasa—downstream from Kikwit—approximately weekly by 1939. The trip took five days to Kinshasa and ten days in the opposite direction. [8]

Kikwit was a small town, but it was important to the Kwilu region as a port and administrative centre, [9] serving as the capital of Kwilu District until 1954. [10] Kikwit was the region's leading producer of palm oil, producing 27,483 tons in 1956, and many workers came to the town from nearby Gungu and Idiofa. [11]

The first political party to operate in Kikwit was the Congolese National Movement in March 1959, when a local organisation was established by Charles de Booth. [note 1] The organisation was short-lived as Kikwitois people did not support de Booth, who was not indigenous and was associted with the Jesuit elite. De Booth led Kikwit's delegation to the Luluabourg Conference of May 1959, which decided to instead represent the Parti Solidaire Africain (PSA). This solidified the importance of the party, which extended its presence in the Kwilu region, gaining the support of the administration and the opposition of Catholic leaders. [13] Although the PSA was based in Léopoldville and had another branch in Kenge, Kwango, Kikwit was the center of the party's operations. [14]

In December 1960, soldiers raided Kikwit as revenge for the killing of a soldier. This resulted in civilian deaths that strained the city's hospital. [7] The City of Kikwit became part of Kwilu Province upon its creation in 1962. It was the densest part of the province. [15] Beginning in January 1963, Kikwit was the center of labour strikes among plantation workers, supported by the PSA. [16] Kikwit had a population of 44,969 in December 1963. [17]

During the Kwilu rebellion (1963–1965), the rebel militia of Pierre Mulele took over the surrounding region. [18] It expanded into Kikwit after establishing control in Gungu and Idiofa. [19] The conflict led the city to declare a curfew on 4 September 1963. [20] Mulele's militia launched attacks on Catholic missions, including the Sacre-Cœur mission on 7 March 1964. It did not attack the city centre, [21] and Kikwit was otherwise not considered a battle site. [22] The government maintained control of the city during the Simba rebellion (1964–1967), and it housed many refugees from conflict zones, such as Mukedi  [ fr ], by mid-1965. [23] Upon Mulele's death in October 1968, an celebration was attended by "the whole city of Kikwit", according to a journalist from Le Courrier d'Afrique. [24]

Kikwit became part of Bandundu Province upon its creation in 1966 and served as its capital until 1971, when it was replaced by Bandundu city. [25] Kikwit officially became a city on 15 March 1970. [26] A Kikongo-language local newspaper, Kimpangi (lit. 'Brotherhood')—which would later merge into Beto na Beto—was founded after a 1973 decree banned anti-government newspapers. [27] The paved highway between Kikwit and Kinshasa was completed in 1979. This increased agricultural exports from the surrounding region. [28] By that year, HCB—then owned by Unilever—had ten plants in Kikwit, which produced 70% of palm oil in the Kwilu region. [29]

Kikwit's economy and infrastructure deteriorated in the late twentieth century. [30] After Mobutu Sese Seko banned Belgian organizations in 1990, the city's education and healthcare systems became dysfunctional. By 1991, the highway was in poor condition, and the city had no electrical or water supply. [3] Kikwit was further impacted by a shift in the Congolese economy toward de-urbanisation in the 1990s. [31] During the First Congo War, the AFDL took control of Kikwit in April 1997, shortly before the Battle of Kenge  [ fr ] and the end of the war. [32]

Scientists analysing the Ebola virus during the 1995 epidemic 6136 PHIL scientists PPE Ebola outbreak 1995.jpg
Scientists analysing the Ebola virus during the 1995 epidemic

The 1995 Kikwit Ebola outbreak was the second major outbreak of the Ebola virus. [33] It originated in a patient who died in January 1995, and the national health officials became aware of the outbreak in April. The following month, the virus was idenfied as Ebola and international health workers arrived at the city's general hospital while all other hospitals were ordered to close. [34] The epidemic, which ended in late 1995, [35] caused 316 infections and 252 deaths; many were healthcare workers. [36] The city had no local media at the time, causing uncertainty and misinformation among locals. [37] This outbreak was one of the first instances of hospitals treating Ebola. [38] The outbreak received wide attention from international news media, [39] and it became one of the most studied epidemics. [38]

Under a 1998 law, Kikwit's officials were appointed by the President of the DRC, and the mayor was subservient to the governor of Kwilu. [40] A 2006 program of the New Partnership for Africa's Development restored 1,000 hectares of palm plantations, aiming for the industry to be controlled by local enterprises. [41] In April 2014, a tribute concert held in Kikwit to honor King Kester Emeneya, who was born in the city, ended in a stampede, killing at least fourteen people in the stadium, following a power failure. [42] [43] The phenomenon of gangs known as Kuluna  [ fr ] spread to Kikwit from Kinshasa by 2015. [44] In response, officials in Kikwit launched the anti-crime Operation Mbita Bango in May 2016, following an announcement by military officials. This month-long operation involved the arrest of many youths who refused to leave Kuluna gangs. [45]

At a January 2019 protest led by supporters of opposition leader Martin Fayulu, protesting his loss in the 2018 presidential election, security forces killed at least twelve protestors. [46] [47] Although a 2008 law organised Kikwit into an elected, decentralised government, its officials continued to be appointed by the President until November 2022, and the first municipal elections were held in December 2023. [48]

Geography

Pont Kwilu crossing the Kwilu River, toward the east bank Pont Kwilu, Kikwit - Mapillary (894069759472117) (cropped).jpg
Pont Kwilu crossing the Kwilu River, toward the east bank

Kikwit is located in southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the coordinates 5°02'S 18°48'E, [49] and has an area of 92 square kilometres. [50] Kikwit is at the furthest navigable point of the Kwilu River, part of the Kwango River system. [51] The city is on a valley where the river flows north-northwest. [6] At Kikwit, the river is 130 to 200 m (426 to 656 ft) wide, with a water level that varies seasonally. Downstream from Kikwit to Bulungu, the river's bed is rocky, and it joins the Kwenge River 24 km (15 mi) downstream of the city, near Lusanga. Kikwit is 320 km (200 mi) upstream from the river's confluence at Bandundu and 690 km (430 ft) upstream from the national capital, Kinshasa. [52] The city drains to the Lukemi and Luimi tributaries of the Kwilu River, located within the city. [53]

The elevation of Kikwit is about 470 m above sea level, [54] with a minimum of 350 m and a maximum of 485 m. [6] It is located on the Kwango Plateau and is mostly flat, though some areas have steep slopes. Geologically, the plateau's soil has a high clay content and consists primarily of sandstone and argillite, which cause the formation of regolith and ferralsols. [54] Terraces of iron-heavy rocks were formed during semi-arid periods tens of thousands of years ago. [6] The area is prone to erosion. [6] The regolith and steep areas of the plateau contribute to the formation of gullies, the largest measuring 40 m deep and 60 m across. [54] These often form parallel to roads, and countermeasures are often ineffective at preventing their formation. [55] Vegetation on the plateau consists of savanna and steppes, with some forested areas. Vegetation in the valley includes forested savanna, rainforest, and riparian forest. Plant coverage began degrading in the 1970s due to increased population. [6]

Kikwit's city centre is on the left bank of the Kwilu River, containing dense residential and commercial developments including the market. The right bank is rural and is connected to the left bank by only one bridge, called Pont Kwilu. [56]

Climate

Kikwit has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw), [57] with an average temperature of about 25 °C (77 °F) and average annual rainfall of 1,483 mm. [58] The dry season lasts roughly from May to August, though it fluctuates and may last between 80 and 120 days. [59] Rainfall peaks from October to December, with a secondary peak in March and April. [60] In an average year, rainfall peaks at over 230 mm in October or November, and it is lowest in July, when the maximum is about 5 mm. [61] The city has a high humidity, with an average of 85%, which peaks during the season with high rainfall. [62] The highest temperatures occur between April and May and the lowest temperatures between December and February. Daily maximum temperatures occur around 1 or 2 pm. [63] Rainfall measurements in Kikwit, which began in 1955, indicate that the city has become increasingly dry following an increase in rainfall from 1963 to 1968. [64] As the city is near the equator, its atmospheric pressure is low, averaging 1,006.2 hectopascals. Winds blow most commonly from the northeast. [65]

Demographics

Population figures of Kikwit range between 500,000 and 1,000,000. [66] [note 2] The municipal government reported in 2020 that the city had 1,336,992 inhabitants, including 96 foreign nationals. [68] Despite its large size, it is considered a secondary city compared to others in the country. [67]

Ethnic groups around Kikwit include the Pende and the Mbala  [ fr ]. [69] Kikwit is in a Kikongo-speaking region, [70] despite not being inhabited by the Kongo people; the language became a lingua franca during the colonial era. [71] Lingala supplanted Kikongo as a lingua franca in the city's markets by the 1990s. [70] The city has thousands of rural migrants. It also has migrants from Kasaï Province, including those who left the declining diamond industry of Kasaï or were internally displaced by Kamwina Nsapu rebellion. Refugees from Angola have also come to the city. [72]

Religion

The cathedral of the Diocese of Kikwit Cathedrale Saint-Francois Xavier, Kikwit.jpg
The cathedral of the Diocese of Kikwit

About 60% of Kikwit's population is Catholic, as of 2025. [73] The city is the seat of the Diocese of Kikwit, which was established as an independent diocese in 1959. Its cathedral, built in 1950, is located in the city centre. [7] Catholic orders that operate in Kikwit include the Jesuits, who operate the Sacre-Cœur parish and nearby Kipalu retreat; the Annonciades; and the Trappists, who operate the Mvanda monastery. Catholic organizations also conduct education, healthcare, and social and community work. [56]

The Catholic Church has operated in Kikwit since 1912, when Jesuit missionaries from Belgium established the Sacre-Cœur mission, originally part of the Apostolic Prefecture of Kwango. The location selected by Prefect Stanislas De Vos. Missionaries had travelled eastward from Kinshasa, with the goal of increasing the church's presence in the Congo and competing with Protestant presence. [74] The Jesuits were joined by missionaries of the Sœurs de la charité de Namur  [ fr ] in 1922, the Sœurs de Sainte-Marie de Namur  [ fr ] in 1947, the Soeurs de Saint André de Tournai in 1951, the Suore delle Poverelle di Bergamo in 1952, and the Annonciades in 1966, as well as a local congregation, the Sœurs de Marie au Kwango, in 1937. [75] The city continued receiving European missionaries and investment after Congolese independence, but their numbers decreased and local Catholic leaders increased by the late 1970s. [76] The nationalist policies of Mobutu increased the role of Congolese people in the church, and Catholic groups established enterprises and farms to support the community. The 1995 Ebola outbreak solidified social support for the church. [77] European missionaries who funded the diocese left the region by the 2000s, leading to a loss of resources such as transportation. [78]

Although Protestant groups were less active than Catholics in the pre-colonial Kwilu region, the Baptist Mid-Missions established a seminary. [79] A Mennonite Christian mission was founded near Kikwit in the 1920s by Aaron Janzen, a missionary of the Congo Inland Mission. [80] A faction of the Kimbanguist movement called Dieudonné was founded in Kikwit in 1954 by the eponymous religion scholar, Dieudonné. It was popular in the area until being banned in 1956. [81] Another form of Kimbanguism, the Nzambi-Malembe movement, came to Kikwit in 1956. [82]

Economy and social issues

A worker making raffia rope Making raffia rope.jpg
A worker making raffia rope

Industries in Kikwit include agriculture and food processing. [30] Most companies in Kikwit are small and medium enterprises. [83] As of 2019, the city has 1,926 such businesses. [84] Most of the city's population works in the informal economy. [85] Kikwit is a major supplier of cassava and maize to Kinshasa; these products are much cheaper in Kikwit than in Kinshasa due to the cost of shipping. [86] The country's diamond industry has connections to Kikwit, where Lunda and Chokwe workers are involved in the industry. [87] By the 2000s, the United States dollar was a widely used currency as international diamond smuggling had impacted the local economy. [88] By the 2020s, the exchange rate between the dollar and the Congolese franc contributed to a sharp increase in prices of goods. [89] The city is home to the University of Kikwit, a Catholic institution. [90]

Kikwit has a high rate of poverty. [91] Between 1975 and 2005, housing quality and food consumption remained approximately stagnant, and uptake of technological goods increased at a lower rate than other Congolese cities, while ownership of assets increased sharply. [92] The city also has a high youth unemployment rate, contributing to crime. [89] Poor economic conditions have incited vigilante gangs known as Kuluna  [ fr ], exacerbated by factors such as social instability caused by high migration and a poor job market that leaves youths with unemployed parents. [93] The city has over one hundred Kuluna groups, which are active in every neighbourhood, especially in populous neighbourhoods such as Kanzombi, Malawi, and Vevo. [94] Kuluna are a frequent subject of media attention in the city. [95]

Culture and media

Kikwit is a regional center of painting. [96] It was also home to the Théâtre du Petit Nègre, founded by playwright Nobert Mikanza in 1967. [97] The Musée National de Kikwit is one of seven institutions of the Institute of National Museums of Congo. [98] Its exhibits include a statue of Kikwitwois singer King Kester Emeneya and local archaeological artefacts, but, As of 2025, these are poorly maintained. [99] Media in Kikwit includes the company Radiotelevision Vénus/Kikwit [100] and the Catholic radio station Radio Tomisa , which runs news and educational programming. [101]

Governance

The city hall of Kikwit Rathaus von Kikwit.jpg
The city hall of Kikwit

Kikwit is administrated as a city, which is divided into decentralised territorial entities (entités territoriales décentralisés, ETD). [102] The city is led by the mayor and the ETDs are led by bourgmestres . [103] The city is also divided into four communes: [104]

Communes of Kikwit
CommunePopulation
(2020 est.) [68]
Kazamba 481,651
Lukemi 312,792
Lukolela 311,936
Nzinda 230,517

The duties of the ETDs include tax collection for local development, as regulated by a 2021 law passed by the city council. [105] The amount of people who are taxed varies, and people who lack money are sometimes extra-legally taxed in goods. [83] Activities in the informal economy are not taxed. [85] Many people do not pay required taxes out of unfamiliarity with the law, [40] while many others commit intentional tax evasion. [106] As is the case in other Congolese cities, the ETDs of Kikwit are ineffective due to a lack of public interest. Tax evasion and embezzlement of government funds are common. Kuluna criminals are active in the absence of security forces [107] and often are not punished due to corrupt officials or improper judicial procedures. [108] Kuluna are also often subject to arrest without warrant. [109]

Courts in Kikwit include the court of the peace and the high court. [110] The juvenile court of Kikwit opened on 15 April 2011. [111] As of 2024, Kikwit does not have an Établissement de Garde et d'Education de l'Etat —a type of state-run social institution for juvenile offenders—so people sentenced by this court are instead sent to the city's prison. [112]

Land rights in Kikwit are managed by the conservateur des titres immobiliers (property title registrar), with a division to manage contracts and another to map boundaries. Subdivisions are generally not approved until they are already settled, and land ownership is generally not registered. [113] Disputes over land rights comprised 70% of cases at the city's court of the peace and high court between 2015 and 2021. [110] Governor of Kwilu Serge Makongo announced a government plan to parcel public land in September 2020, but this had not occurred by 2024 due to conflicts with existing settlements. [114]

Kikwit is the headquarters of the 1st Military Region of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [115] The Colonel Ebeya military camp is located in the commune of Kazamba. [116]

Infrastructure

National Road 1 leading into Kikwit from the west National Road 1 entering Kikwit - Mapillary (123057669803228).jpg
National Road 1 leading into Kikwit from the west

The only highway in Kikwit is National Road 1, which has a bridge crossing the Kwilu River at Kikwit. [51] It connects the city to Kinshasa, 480 kilometres (300 mi) to the west; Mwene-Ditu, 890 kilometres (550 mi) to the southeast; [33] and Tshikapa, via a crossing of the Loange River. [117] The city's main road is the Boulevard National, part of the highway. There are only four paved roads (as of 2023), which are largely unmaintained. [118] Most residents traverse the city by foot or ride motorcycle taxis (wewa), [2] as a result of the lack of paved roads. Motorcycles surged in popularity in the 2010s, mostly inexpensive models imported from China, and are more popular than automobiles. [119] Most passengers of motorcycle taxis are men, and most are not poor, as automobile taxis are cheaper. [120] Motorcycle crashes are common, especially during the wet season. [2] Public discourse in the city views roads as economically vital yet dangerous, and it views crash victims, known as accidentés, as a consequence of urban life. [121] Kikwit is also home to Kikwit Airport. [30]

The Hopital General de Reference de Kikwit in 1995 Hopital General de Kikwit, 1995.png
The Hôpital General de Réference de Kikwit in 1995

Hospitals in Kikwit include the Hôpital General de Réference de Kikwit (HGR). [122] Several kinds of folk medicine exist in the city, including nganga and tradipracticien  [ fr ] healers. Traditional bonesetters often conduct fracture healing for injuries that are mostly caused by road crashes. [123] Diarrheal diseases such as cholera, Entamoeba , and Shigella are common in Kikwit, infecting about 30% of the population in 2017. [61] HIV is also common, with the HGR treating 900 cases in January 2024, [66] and the city's medical facilities often have shortages of HIV tests. [124] The city has had many disease outbreaks. [61]

Kikwit has poor-quality infrastructure such as electricity, sanitation, and water supply. [61] Most drinking water is acquired from water resources without treatment, contributing to waterborne diseases. [61] The Lukemi and Luini rivers are used for water supply as well as sewage and landfill, causing high pollution. [53] Kikwit is not on the is not on the national electricity grid [125] and lacks electricity except from generators. [126] [3] As of 2019, 96% of households lack electricity. [125] There have been plans for hydroelectric power from the Kakobola dam  [ fr ], which is under construction, [126] but these were delayed by failed tests in August 2024. [127]

Notes

  1. ↑ Another attempt to establish MNC presence was led by labour unionist Placide Penge. [12]
  2. ↑ Population estimates include 500,000 (2023), [54] 800,000 (2022), [67] and 1,200,000 (2023). [2]

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 Phippard 2023, p. 141.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Noble, Kenneth B. (15 November 1991). "Kikwit Journal; Once a Colonial Jewel, a City Hurtles Backward". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 25 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  4. ↑ De Boeck 1998, p. 781.
  5. 1 2 Feyaerts 2025, p. 6.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fehr 1994, p. 70.
  7. 1 2 3 Feyaerts 2025, p. 7.
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  56. 1 2 Feyaerts 2025, pp. 1–2.
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