Senate elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2024 and early 2025 to renew the 108 elected members of the Senate elected by indirect ballot by the members of the 26 provincial assemblies. The elections took place in four parts. The election of the 84 senators representing Kinshasa and 19 provinces were held 29 April at the same time as the gubernatorial elections. This was followed by the election of the senators of Equateur and Ituri on 24 May, and on 26 May those of Mai-Ndombe and North Kivu for a total of 16 senators. The election of the last 8 senators from Kwilu and Nord-Ubangi was held on April 2, 2025, alongside governor elections.

These elections followed the re-election of President Félix Tshisekedi at the 2023 presidential election as well as the legislative and provincial elections held concurrently, with the results of the latter leading to the complete renewal of 22 of the 26 electoral colleges responsible for electing senators.

Electoral system The Senate has 108 elected seats with four seats per province and eight for the city-province of Kinshasa. The members of a provincial assembly make up the electoral college that elects the senators of that province. Provincial assemblies can have between 18 and 48 members depending on voter registration totals.

Senators are elected for the term of five years, renewable, by indirect multi-member proportional voting with open lists and a single preferential vote. The distribution is done according to the largest remainder method. Each senator is elected with two substitutes.

Former elected Presidents of the Republic are by right senators for life. Joseph Kabila is the first president of the Third Republic to have become so in 2019.

Results

+ Elected Senate seats by party Party Seats Total 29 April2024 24 May 26 May 2 April2025 Independent 27 21 1 4 1 UDPS/Tshisekedi 15 13 1 1 AB 6 5 1 AFDC-A 6 5 1 AACPG 5 3 1 1 MLC 5 4 1 2A/TDC 4 2 2 A24 4 4 A/VK2018 3 3 Ensemble 3 3 A/A-UNC 2 1 1 AA/C 2 1 1 AAAP 2 2 ANB 2 2 AVC-A 2 2 CDER 2 1 1 FPAU 2 1 1 4AC 1 1 A/B50 1 1 A1 1 1 A3A 1 1 AAAD 1 1 AAeC 1 1 ACP-A 1 1 AN 1 1 APCF 1 1 ARDEV-A 1 1 ART&A 1 1 ATUA 1 1 AV 1 1 CDC/R 1 1 CFC 1 1 MSL 1 1 Total 108 84 8 8 8Data source: CENI

Elected senators Province Senator-elect Party Bas-Uélé (inc.) Independent Aminata Namasia AB Norbert Gebanga UDPS/Tshisekedi Eddy Pascal Sinango Independent Équateur Jonas Mukamba FPAU Jean Paul Boketsu UDPS/Tshisekedi Jean-Claude Baende Independent Gabriel Bolenge MSL Haut-Katanga Danny Kabongo UDPS/Tshisekedi Salomon Kalonda Della Ensemble (sub1: ) ARDEV-A Sama Lukonde Independent Haut-Lomami Gracia Yamba(sub2: Arsène Yamba) Independent Alain Ilunga (inc.) Independent Isabelle Kabamba (inc.) AAAP Dany Banza}(sub1: Hervé Nkulu) AB Haut-Uélé Anna Kumbodimo Independent Independent Prospère Mangbukele A1 Jean Pierre Batumoko (inc.) A/VK2018 Ituri Idi Tabani AFDC-A Noella Bachebandey A/A-UNC (sub1: Michel Remo) AACPG CFC Kasaï Joseph Ngalamulume AFDC-A AA/C Gaston Nkole AACPG Clément Muya 2A/TDC Kasaï-Central Jean Tshisekedi APCF Cedric Ngindu Independent Jean Muntuabu UDPS/Tshisekedi Sylvain Mukengeshayi A3A Kasaï-Oriental José Kalala AV Alphonse Ngoyi AFDC-A José Mpanda A24 Guy Kabombo(sub1: Pierre Kanda) UDPS/Tshisekedi Kinshasa Augustin Kabuya(sub1: Roger Tshisekedi) UDPS/Tshisekedi Gérard Mulumba UDPS/Tshisekedi Micke Kabasele UDPS/Tshisekedi Independent Jacques Lunguana MLC Arlette Bahati AFDC-A Ivan Kazadi Independent Anne Mbuguje AVC-A Kongo Central Didier Budimbu(sub1: Paoline Nkunku) AVC-A UDPS/Tshisekedi Nefertiti Ngudianza (inc.) AAAP Baby Vangu A/VK2018 Kwango Simon Naa Ikamba Independent Platini Luheto Independent Willy Bitwisila(sub1: Jeancy Diahoya) Independent Justin Kapenda Independent Kwilu Papy Labila 2A/TDC Willy Itsundala AACPG Jean-Philibert Mabaya (inc.) CDC/R Marianne Bakiele Independent Lomami Jonas Kalambayi UDPS/Tshisekedi Florence Muleka ATUA Pius Muabilu AACPG Adolphe Lumanu ACP-A Lualaba Michel Kanyimbu ART&A Norbert Naweji Ensemble Célestin Mashata A24 (sub1: Joe Saini) A24 Mai-Ndombe AA/C Aimé Pascal Mongo(sub1: Marcus Makani) AAeC Herman Mutima Independent Adonis Ngambani Independent Maniema Idrissa Mangala UDPS/Tshisekedi Faustin Luanga Independent Justin Kalumba AACPG A24 Mongala Jean-Pierre Lihau(sub1: Gaspar Monganga) UDPS/Tshisekedi (sub1: Claude Bossio) FPAU Aimé Sakombi Molendo(sub1: Bienvenu Essimba) A/A-UNC Michel Lingepo MLC Nord-Ubangi Michel Kobanga AB Basile Bale (inc.) MLC (inc.) 2A/TDC Anastasie Ngbako CDER North Kivu Papy Mumbere Machozi Independent Jacquemin Shabani(sub1: Janvier Kasiwa) UDPS/Tshisekedi Jean-Marie Kasereka A/B50 Célestin Vunabandi (inc.) Independent Sankuru René Kalala(sub1: Richard Kimbulu) Independent Jules Lodi UDPS/Tshisekedi Bernard Mpetshi 2A/TDC Christophe Lutundula AB South Kivu AN Modeste Bahati (inc.) AFDC-A Eustache Muhanzi A/VK2018 Aristide Bulakali UDPS/Tshisekedi Sud-Ubangi Alexis Mondonge Independent Nadine Boboy Independent Jean-Lucien Bussa(sub1: Willy Bussa) CDER (inc) MLC Tanganyika Vicky Katumwa (inc.) AFDC-A (inc.) Ensemble Patrice Pungwe AB Kilele Ramazani 4AC Tshopo Renabel Kayala AAAD Jean Bamanisa MLC Independent ANB Tshuapa Pancrace Boongo AB Guy Loando(sub1: Cathy Botema (inc.)) ANB Moise Ekumbo Independent Corneille Isenge IndependentSource: CENILists of candidates for senator available at the CENI website. See for example the list of governor candidates of Lualaba province.

29 April results On 29 April twenty senate elections combined for the first time with gubernatorial elections, took place without incident. The CENI published the provisional results for the Senate on 30 April and these were confirmed by the Constitutional Court on 16 May.

Of the 84 senators elected, only the three from Ensemble are in the opposition, eight were incumbents—of which six women, and three were also elected governor. To become governor, the governors-elect of Haut-Katanga, Kwango, and Lualaba had to relinquish their senate seats to the benefit of their substitutes.

References