At the 41st meeting of the Council of Ministers, held on April 25, 2025, President Félix Tshisekedi ordered the demolition of buildings erected in violation of town-planning standards, especially those obstructing drainage channels. This decision comes after floods hit Kinshasa, causing almost 75 deaths and leaving more than 11,000 people homeless, according to the authorities.

The government has set up a crisis unit, bringing together several ministers and the governor of Kinshasa, to ensure that this decision is rigorously enforced. The process includes an awareness-raising phase, followed by formal notices to the offenders, before proceeding with demolitions. The awareness campaign aims to curb social tensions.

On April 10, 2025, Crispin Mbadu, Minister of Urban Planning and Housing, called a meeting of his administration to assess the consequences of the recent floods. He called for the strict application of the ban on issuing town-planning notices in certain non-edificandi zones, notably Ngaliema Bay, the banks of the Ndjili, Lukunga, Kalamu, Bitshaku Tshaku, Basoko, Makelele, and Gombe rivers, as well as the Socopao site in Limete and the Ndanu district.

As part of the Kin-Elenda project, the authorities had already launched demolition operations in November 2024 on houses built illegally along the Funa river, in the communes of Kalamu, Barumbu, and Limete. This work aimed to protect the SNEL substation from flooding and restore the free flow of water.

Boaz Kabeya (intern)