KINSHASA, DRC, Feb 15 – Sama Lukonde Kyenge, director general of the state mining company Gecamines, has been appointed the new prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by President Felix Tshisekedi, according to an announcement made live on national television RTNC.
43-year-old Sama Lukonde is a former minister of sports under the presidency of Joseph Kabila.
He succeeds Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba, who was appointed DRC’s prime minister in May 2019 and deposed by parliament at the end of last month in Kinshasa following a crisis within the FCC-CACH coalition.
An engineer by training, he resigned in September 2015 from his duties as minister of sports to obey the instructions of his party, Avenir du Congo (Congo’s future), excluded from the presidential majority for having protested against a possible third term of Joseph Kabila.
Right after his appointment, President Felix Tshisekedi had a first head in mind with Sama Lukonde in his office on his new vision for the next government, the composition of which will be revealed in the coming days.
