Proposed provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Proposed provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo were specified in Article 2 of the 2005 Congolese Constitution, which came into effect on 18 February 2006.
There would be twenty-five new province

Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...

s while retaining the capital city/province of Kinshasa. This new territorial organization was scheduled to take effect within thirty-six months of the new constitution's promulgation. It did not.

Plans and delays

The 18 February 2006 constitution planned to convert many of the districts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Districts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are divided into 26 districts. These in turn are divided into territories or communes.-Planned reorganization:...

into provinces under a decentralization program. However, progress was slow.
In October 2007 the Minister for Decentralization, Denis Kalume Numbi

Denis Kalume Numbi

Denis Kalume Numbi is a general and a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . He was part of the Antoine Gizenga government as Minister of State for the Interior, Decentralization and Security....

, presented a bill for Decentralization in the National Assembly. The subsequent debate turned up a variety of issues that first had to be addressed with changes to related laws.
In an October 2010 conclave of the ruling AMP coalition, it was proposed to revise Article 226, which calls for the creation of 26 provinces out of the current 11, in order to allow more time for the transition.
In September 2011 the position of "Minister of Decentralization" was abolished.
At this point it is not clear when, if ever, the proposed new provinces will become reality.

Proposed provinces

Technically if the constitution had been implemented strictly in accordance with the agreements, the provinces listed below would have come into effect no later than 2009.

Map#	Proposed province	Proposed capital	Current province
1.	Kinshasa Kinshasa Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....	Kinshasa Kinshasa Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....	Kinshasa Kinshasa Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
2.	Kongo Central Kongo Central Kongo Central is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Matadi Matadi Matadi is the chief sea port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the Bas-Congo province. It has a population of 245,862 . Matadi is situated on the left bank of the Congo River from the mouth and below the last navigable point before rapids make the river impassable for a...	Bas-Congo Bas-Congo Bas-Congo is one of the eleven provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the only province with a coastline and it borders Bandundu province to the east and Kinshasa to the northeast...
3.	Kwango Kwango Province Kwango is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Kenge Kenge Kenge is a town and seat of Kwango District of northern Democratic Republic of the Congo.As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 41,612.- Namesake :Kenge is one of a number of towns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with this name. See:...	Bandundu
4.	Kwilu Kwilu Province Kwilu is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. These 25 provinces were to have been created from the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Kikwit Kikwit Kikwit is the largest city of Kwilu District, lying on the Kwilu River in the southwestern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kikwit is also known in the region under the nickname "The Mother". The population is approximately 294,210...	Bandundu
5.	Mai-Ndombe Mai-Ndombe Province Mai-Ndombe is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Inongo Inongo Inongo is a town and seat of Mai-Ndombe District of western Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 45,159....	Bandundu
6.	Kasaï Kasai Province Kasai is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Luebo Luebo Luebo is a town and seat of Kasai District of southern-central Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 40,115....	Kasai-Occidental Kasai-Occidental Kasai-Occidental is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It borders the provinces of Bandundu to the west, Équateur to the north, Kasai-Oriental to the east, and Katanga to the southeast. To the south it borders the country of Angola...
7.	Lulua Lulua Province Lulua is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Kananga Kananga Kananga, formerly known as Luluabourg or Luluaburg, is the capital of Lulua District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It has a population of 1,130,100 ....	Kasai-Occidental
8.	Kasai-Oriental Kasai-oriental Province Kasai-Oriental is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226. As of October 2010, this had not taken place...	Mbuji-Mayi Mbuji-Mayi Mbuji-Mayi serves as the capital of Kasai-Oriental Province in the south-central Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the third largest city in the country, following the capital Kinshasa and second largest city Lubumbashi but ahead of Kisangani and Kananga. The city is the DRC's third-largest,...	Kasai-Oriental Kasai-Oriental Kasai-Oriental is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It borders the provinces of Kasai-Occidental to the west, Équateur to the northwest, Orientale to the northeast, Maniema to the east, and Katanga to the south. Kasai-Oriental is one of the richest diamond producing...
9.	Lomami Lomami Province Lomami is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226. As of October 2010, this had not taken place...	Kabinda Kabinda Kabinda is a town and territory in Kabinda District, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town is the capital of Kabinda District. Kabinda is served by Tunta Airport. The town had 192 364 inhabitants 2010. The town is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kabinda...	Kasai-Oriental
10.	Sankuru Sankuru Province Sankuru is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226. As of October 2010, this had not taken place...	Lodja Lodja Lodja is a town in central Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the administrative center of the Sankuru District. It is located at around .Lodja is home to the Lodja Airport....	Kasai-Oriental
11.	Maniema	Kindu Kindu Kindu is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the capital of Maniema province. It has a population of about 200,000 and is situated on the Congo River at an altitude of about 500 metres, and is about 400 km west of Bukavu....	Maniema Maniema Maniema is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Kindu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
12.	Sud-Kivu	Bukavu Bukavu Bukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo , lying at the extreme south-eastern extent of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the Sud-Kivu province and as of 2009 it had an estimated population of...	Sud-Kivu Sud-Kivu Sud-Kivu is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Bukavu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
13.	Nord-Kivu	Goma Goma Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...	Nord-Kivu Nord-Kivu Nord-Kivu is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its capital is Goma....
14.	Ituri	Bunia Bunia Bunia is a city in Democratic Republic of the Congo and is the headquarters of Ituri Interim Administration in the Ituri region of Orientale Province....	Orientale
15.	Haut-Uele Haut-Uele Province Haut-Uele is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution . It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...	Isiro Isiro Isiro is the capital of Haut-Uele District in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies between the equatorial forest and the savannah and its main resource is coffee. Isiro's population is estimated at approximately 150,000...	Orientale
16.	Tshopo Tshopo Province Tshopo is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution . It was to be created from the country's existing 10 provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...	Kisangani Kisangani Kisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....	Orientale
17.	Bas-Uele Bas-Uele Province Bas-Uele is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution . It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months...	Buta Buta Buta is a town and seat of Buta Territory in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on the Rubi River, a tributary of the Itimbiri River. It is headquarters of the Bas-Uele District, Orientale Province...	Orientale
18.	Nord-Ubangi Nord-Ubangi Province Nord-Ubangi is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Gbadolite Gbadolite Gbadolite or Gbado-Lite is the capital of the Nord-Ubangi District in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town is located south of the Ubangi River at the border to the Central African Republic and northeast of the national capital Kinshasa...	Équateur Équateur Équateur is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is in the north of the country, and bordered the Republic of the Congo to the west, the Central African Republic to the north, to the east the Orientale province, and to the south the Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental, and...
19.	Mongala Mongala Province Mongala is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Lisala Lisala Lisala is the capital of Mongala District, in northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located at around . The Congo River flows through the city. It is best known as the birthplace of Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled Zaire from 1965 to 1997....	Équateur
20.	Sud-Ubangi Sud-Ubangi Province Sud-Ubangi is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Gemena Gemena Gemena is a town and capital of the Sud-Ubangi District of Equateur Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.The town has a large airport.Mobutu Sese Seko's mother, Mama Yemo, died in Gemena in 1971; a vast mausoleum was built in her memory....	Équateur
21.	Équateur Équateur Province Équateur is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226...	Mbandaka Mbandaka Mbandaka, formerly known as Coquilhatville or Coquilhatstad , is a city on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki Rivers. The capital of the Equateur District, it is home to an airport and is linked by ferry to Kinshasa and Boende...	Équateur
22.	Tshuapa Tshuapa Province Tshuapa is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution , under Article 2. It was to be created from country's the existing 10 provinces within 36 months , according to Article 226. As of October 2010, this had not taken place.The...	Boende Boende Boende is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying on the Tshuapa River, east of Mbandaka. It is the capital of Tshuapa District. It is a river port with ferries sailing to Kinshasa via Mbandanka and is also home to an airport. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 36,158. The...	Équateur
23.	Tanganyika Tanganyika Province Tanganyika is a new province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be established when the country's new constitution is implemented by dividing Katanga Province into four parts. Tanganyika province will succeed Katanga's Tanganyika District...	Kalemie Kalemie Kalemie, formerly Albertville/Albertstad, is a town on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town is next to the exit of the Lukuga River flowing out from Lake Tanganyika to the Lualaba River....	Katanga
24.	Haut-Lomami Haut-Lomami Province Haut-Lomani is a new province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be established when the country's new constitution is implemented by dividing Katanga Province into four parts....	Kamina Kamina Kamina is a city in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located at around . It is the provincial capital.- Transport :...	Katanga
25.	Lualaba Lualaba Province Lualaba is a new province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be established when the country's new constitution is implemented by dividing Katanga Province into four parts....	Kolwezi Kolwezi Kolwezi is a city in Katanga Province in the south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, west of Likasi. It is home to an airport and a railway to Lubumbashi. The population is approximately 418,000....	Katanga
26.	Haut-Katanga Haut-Katanga Province Haut-Katanga is a new province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be established when the country's new constitution is implemented by dividing Katanga Province into four parts....	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...	Katanga

Note: Cities shown in bold are also capitals of the current provinces. Bandundu

Bandundu

Bandundu, formerly known as Banningville or Banningstad, is a city in Bandundu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Bandundu is the capital of Bandundu Province. It is located on the north bank of the Kwango River, just below the juncture of the Kwango and the Kwilu, 8 km upstream from...

is the only city that would not remain a provincial capital when the proposed new provinces are implemented.

Plans and delays

Proposed provinces

See also