The ruling UDPS party have made a bold decision to retain Jacques Kyabula Katwe as their candidate to run for the post of governor in Haut-Katanga Province.
Kyabula Katwe who served as governor of the copper-rich Haut-Katanga Province from 2019, has been rejected by the population in the province due to his corrupt practices and numerous thieving scandals.
Nonetheless, Fèlix Tshisekedi’s UDPS party have opted to maintain Kyabula Katwe even with his chaotic record during his first term as head of Haut-Katanga between (2019 and 2023.
The UDPS provincial deputies unanimously decided to endorse Kyabula Katwe for the candidacy of governor following bitter discussions chaired by party secretary general of the UDPS Augustin Kabuya Tshilumba on Friday, 1st March 2024.
Kyabula Katwe will run for the governorship alongside Martin Kazembe, the current mayor of the city of Lubumbashi, as vice-governor candidate.
Kazembe’s record as mayor of the copper city is also considered mixed having been implicated in several cases of embezzlement of public funds.
Meanwhile, five candidates including three women have filed for their candidacies as governor according to the list posted Wednesday February 28, 2024 at the Office for receiving and processing applications (BRTC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) in Haut-Katanga.
The candidates include Alexis Kalwazi Chansa with vice-governor candidate, Moïse Mandji; Bavon Banza Tshikumbi with Bobo Malulu as vice-governor; Mathilde Benatar Chilufya, provincial deputy of Ensemble pour la République who applied as an independent with Raïssa Muganza as vice-governor; Irène Kunda Kisenga with Thierry Maghoma as vice; as well as Francine Kisenga Kilatuba with Dominique Kanku as vice-governor.
