Chérubin Okende Senga
Minister of Transport and Communication
In office
12 April 2021 – 28 December 2022
Preceded byDidier Mazenga Mukanzu
Member of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In office
30 November 2018 – 13 July 2023
In office
2003–2005
Personal details
Born(1961-10-05)5 October 1961
Died13 July 2023(2023-07-13) (aged 61)
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
NationalityCongolese
Political partyEnsemble pour la République
EducationUniversity of Kinshasa

Chérubin Okende Senga (5 October 1961 – 13 July 2023) was a Congolese politician of Ensemble pour la République.[1] He served as Minister of Transport and Communication from 2021 to 2022. He also served as technical administrator of Lignes Aériennes Congolaises.[2]

Biography

Born on 5 October 1961, Okende grew up in the Sankuru province and was a polyglot, speaking fluent Swahili, Lingala, Kikongo, French, and English. He graduated from the Institut supérieur de statistique in 1989. He also earned a master's degree from the University of Kinshasa in 2013, and subsequently a doctorate in public law from the same university in 2016.

From 1989 to 1999, Okende was head of service at the local production department of the Office congolais de contrôle (OCC). From 1992 to 2005, he was secretary-general of the Syndicat autonome des travailleurs of the OCC. He served as national president of the Confédération générale de syndicat autonome from 2003 to 2005 before serving as technical administrative director of the Fond de Promotion de l’Industrie from 2005 to 2008, for which he served as interim administrative director-general from 2010 to 2012.

Okende worked as an internal auditor for the OCC from 2012 to 2014. He finally left the OCC in 2019 after directing the hydrocarbons department.

Political career

From 1999 to 2006, Okende was national vice-president of the Société civile du Congo. At the same time, he was civil society delegate for intra-Congolese dialogue in Pretoria.[3] He served in the National Assembly from 2003 to 2005 before becoming national chair of the Front social des indépendants républicains in 2006.[3] From 2019 to 2020, he was spokesperson for the Lamuka Coalition after his return to the National Assembly on 30 December 2018. On 12 April 2021, he was appointed Minister of Transport and Communication.

In December 2022, Moïse Katumbi announced his candidacy for the 2023 presidential election and the departure of the party Ensemble pour la République from the Lamuka Coalition. Close to Katumbi, Okende left the Lukonde cabinet.[4]

Assassination

On 13 July 2023, Okende was found dead in his car with gunshot wounds in Kinshasa.[5][6] The Congolese government denounced his assassination, with the President, Félix Tshisekedi, releasing a statement saying he had requested authorities to open an investigation into the "despicable act".[7] Katumbi described Okende's death as a "political assassination" and that he believed he had been kidnapped the day before his death.[8] Okende's family subsequently filed a complaint with the Kinshasa-Gombe prosecutor against Okende's "arbitrary arrest and murder".[9]

References

  1. ↑ Kavanagh, Michael J. (13 July 2023). "Congo Opposition Party Spokesman Assassinated, State Says". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "RDC : Chérubin Okende Senga, nouveau ministre des Transports". Actu30 (in French). 12 April 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  3. 1 2 "RDC: Chérubin Okende, proche de l'opposant Moïse Katumbi et ancien ministre, retrouvé mort". Radio France Internationale (in French). 13 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  4. ↑ Ligodi, Patient (29 December 2022). "RDC: trois ministres quittent le gouvernement après la candidature de Katumbi". Radio France Internationale (in French). Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  5. ↑ "RDC : Chérubin Okende retrouvé mort à Kinshasa". Politico.cd (in French). 13 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Congo opposition spokesman Chérubin Okende, shot dead months before election". Africanews. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  7. ↑ Fessy, Thomas (14 July 2023). "Opposition Politician's Murder Shakes Congo". Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  8. ↑ "Mort de Chérubin Okende en RDC: «C'est un assassinat politique», affirme Moïse Katumbi". RFI (in French). 13 July 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Mort de Chérubin Okende en RDC: «C'est un assassinat politique», affirme Moïse Katumbi". RFI (in French). 13 July 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
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