Oscar Kashala Lukumuenda
Encyclopedia
Dr. Oscar Lukumuena Kashala is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
and was a candidate in the 2006 presidential election
.
Doctor Kashala is a graduate of Harvard University
and has held senior executive positions in the pharmaceutical industry. He previously took a leave of absence in order to campaign in the 2006 elections, after years of residence in the United States
. Dr. Kashala has recently announced his candidacy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's upcoming Presidential elections which are currently scheduled to occur on November 28, 2011.
Oscar Kashala is a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC), and is the National President of the Union for the Rebuilding of Congo or Union pour la Reconstruction du Congo (UREC), a political party registered with the DRC Government. UREC participated in the 2006 Elections in the DRC.
Oscar Kashala was born on August 4, 1954, in Lubumbashi
, Haut-Katanga District
, from Congolese parents. Son of a retired military sergeant in the Force Publique, the Congolese Army under Belgian colonization, Oscar Kashala was raised in an environment that focused on strict discipline, Christian
faith, hard work, excellence in education and family values. He excelled as a student and as a boy scout.
Oscar Kashala graduated from Kinshasa
University Medical School in 1980 with honors, and trained in internal medicine and pathology at the University of Kinshasa, then at the University of Lausanne and University of Geneva Medical Schools. In 1986, the World Health Organization
(WHO/AFRO) awarded him a fellowship for medical oncology in Boston
. Then he obtained a fellowship in cancer biology at Harvard University
, Boston. This was followed by admission into a doctoral program in cancer biology and immunology in a combined degree program (Harvard University and Massachusetts Institutes of Technology). He received a Doctor of Science degree from Harvard University in 1992.
In May 2006, thirty members of Kashala's security detail were accused of plotting to overthrow interim Congo president Joseph Kabila
. Kashala and the international community dismissed the allegations as a blatant attempt by Kabila's administration to intimidate him.
In the 2006 election, Kashala finished in fifth place with 4% of votes in the first round of voting, well short of Jean-Pierre Bemba
's 20% and Joseph Kabila
's 45%.
Oscar Kashala is married to Prudence Kashala. They have raised a family of 8 children.
Dr. Kashala is the head of Asterko which is a holdings company that has many dealings around the world mainly for profit ventures.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
and was a candidate in the 2006 presidential election
Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Multi-party elections in the DR Congo were held in July 2006, the first multi-party elections in the country since 1960.The 1960 elections, held in the wake of independence, saw Patrice Lumumba become prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu president. In 1965 Mobutu Sese Seko seized power and declared...
.
Doctor Kashala is a graduate of Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and has held senior executive positions in the pharmaceutical industry. He previously took a leave of absence in order to campaign in the 2006 elections, after years of residence in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Dr. Kashala has recently announced his candidacy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's upcoming Presidential elections which are currently scheduled to occur on November 28, 2011.
Oscar Kashala is a native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
(DRC), and is the National President of the Union for the Rebuilding of Congo or Union pour la Reconstruction du Congo (UREC), a political party registered with the DRC Government. UREC participated in the 2006 Elections in the DRC.
Oscar Kashala was born on August 4, 1954, in Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi
Lubumbashi is the second largest city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, second only to the nation's capital Kinshasa, and the hub of the southeastern part of the country. The copper-mining city serves as the capital of the relatively prosperous Katanga Province, lying near the Zambian border...
, Haut-Katanga District
Haut-Katanga District
Haut-Katanga District is a district located in the Katanga Province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo....
, from Congolese parents. Son of a retired military sergeant in the Force Publique, the Congolese Army under Belgian colonization, Oscar Kashala was raised in an environment that focused on strict discipline, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
faith, hard work, excellence in education and family values. He excelled as a student and as a boy scout.
Oscar Kashala graduated from Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
University Medical School in 1980 with honors, and trained in internal medicine and pathology at the University of Kinshasa, then at the University of Lausanne and University of Geneva Medical Schools. In 1986, the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO/AFRO) awarded him a fellowship for medical oncology in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Then he obtained a fellowship in cancer biology at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Boston. This was followed by admission into a doctoral program in cancer biology and immunology in a combined degree program (Harvard University and Massachusetts Institutes of Technology). He received a Doctor of Science degree from Harvard University in 1992.
In May 2006, thirty members of Kashala's security detail were accused of plotting to overthrow interim Congo president Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila Kabange is a Congolese politician who has been President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since January 2001. He took office ten days after the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila...
. Kashala and the international community dismissed the allegations as a blatant attempt by Kabila's administration to intimidate him.
In the 2006 election, Kashala finished in fifth place with 4% of votes in the first round of voting, well short of Jean-Pierre Bemba
Jean-Pierre Bemba
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was one of four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 17 July 2003 to December 2006. Bemba also leads the Movement for the Liberation of Congo , a rebel group...
's 20% and Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila Kabange is a Congolese politician who has been President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since January 2001. He took office ten days after the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila...
's 45%.
Oscar Kashala is married to Prudence Kashala. They have raised a family of 8 children.
Dr. Kashala is the head of Asterko which is a holdings company that has many dealings around the world mainly for profit ventures.