The Democratic Republic of Congo plans to modernize the Kisangani river port to establish it as a key multimodal transport hub along the Congo River. The Ministry of Transport signed two memorandums of understanding on October 30, 2025, with the Northern Corridor Transit and Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA), in the presence of officials from the National Transport Office (ONATRA) and the Coordination and Monitoring Unit for Regional Corridor Programs (CEPCOR).
The first agreement covers the construction of a pilot rest and service station in Songololo, in Kongo Central Province, along National Road No. 1 linking Kinshasa to Matadi. The second focuses on developing and modernizing the Kisangani port. Timelines for final agreements and project implementation have not yet been announced.
According to Gabin Lulendo, a member of CEPCOR’s steering committee, the partnership aims to turn Kisangani into a regional hub for multimodal transport. The project includes rehabilitating and extending the port’s operational quays to improve connectivity between eastern Congo and Kenya’s Port of Mombasa via the Northern Corridor. It forms part of broader efforts to enhance regional cooperation in logistics and trade facilitation.
Built in the 1920s, the Kisangani port has lost much of its operational capacity. Between 2022 and 2023, activity dropped by 30 to 40 percent due to poor maintenance and aging infrastructure. Once-functional cranes now stand idle, while deteriorating road links with eastern Congo have further weakened commercial traffic.
Ronsard Luabeya
