Kinshasa: Civil society steps up citizen participation to promote transparency in the ring-road project

In Kinshasa, civil society organization Congo nouveau, a member of the Le Congo n’est pas à vendre (CNPAV) consortium, brought together 30 civil society representatives on October 16, 2026, to discuss transparency in the ring-road project. Its director, Serge Kambale, criticized the lack of public consultation and cited potential overpricing: a kilometer is estimated to cost about $5 million, compared with a stated benchmark of $2 million. Participants urged the government to monitor costs and road quality after a study by the University of Kinshasa’s CREEUK found that the asphalt layer was only 7 cm thick. They also called for compensation for people whose plots along the ring roads were affected.