Kikwit is the largest city of Kwilu Province, in the southwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Located at the furthest navigable point of the Kwilu River, the urban area of Kikwit is primarily on its left bank. The city has over half a million inhabitants. Kikwit is divided into four communes, with decentralised leadership: Kazamba, Lukemi, Lukolela, and Nzinda.
Originating as a small village, Kikwit was developed by Belgian colonists in the late 19th century and became a centre of ivory and rubber trade. After the establishment of the Belgian Congo, Kikwit was granted to the company , which established palm oil plantations in the 1910s and 1920s. Kikwit became an important administrative centre as well as the largest producer of palm oil in the Kwilu region. Beginning in 1959, Kikwit was a centre of political activities of the . The region around the city was impacted by the Kwilu rebellion and Simba rebellion of the 1960s, but Kikwit was not a conflict zone. Kikwit's economy and infrastructure declined by the 1990s. In 1995, the city saw an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. The first municipal elections were held in 2023.
Kikwit's population comprises largely the Pende and ethnic groups and speaks the Kikongo and Lingala languages. The city has thousands of migrants, including workers from rural areas. Most of the population is Catholic, and the city is the headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Kikwit. Economic activities in Kikwit include agriculture and informal enterprises. The city has a high rate of poverty and of youth unemployment, which contributes to criminal activity such as gangs. The city has poor infrastructure such as electricity. Kikwit is served by a single highway, National Road 1, and by Kikwit Airport.
History
thumb|left|alt=Black-and-white photograph from above showing a town with a few roads, surrounded by vegetation.|Kikwit in the 1950s
Kikwit was a small village prior to Belgian colonisation. It was a historical centre of the trade of wax derived from caterpillars. Belgian colonists further developed the town with the goal of exploiting resources. After Mobutu Sese Seko banned Belgian organisations in 1990, the city's education and healthcare systems became dysfunctional. By 1991, the highway was in poor condition, and the city had no electrical or water supply. The phenomenon of gangs known as spread to Kikwit from Kinshasa by 2015. In response, officials in Kikwit launched the anti-crime Operation Mbita Bango in May 2016, following an announcement by military officials. This month-long operation involved the arrest of many youths who refused to leave gangs.
At a January 2019 protest led by supporters of opposition leader Martin Fayulu, protesting his loss in the 2018 presidential election, security forces killed at least twelve protestors. Although a 2008 law organised Kikwit into an elected, decentralised government, its officials continued to be appointed by the President until November 2022, and the first municipal elections were held in December 2023.
Geography
thumb|upright=1.15|alt=A road bridge over a river, with forest behind it| crossing the [[Kwilu River, toward the east bank]]
Kikwit is located in southwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the coordinates , and has an area of 92 square kilometres. Kikwit is at the furthest navigable point of the Kwilu River, part of the Kwango River system. The city is in a valley where the river flows north-northwest. At Kikwit, the river is () wide, with a water level that varies seasonally. Downstream from Kikwit to Bulungu, the river's bed is rocky, and it joins the Kwenge River 24 km (15 mi) downstream of the city, near Lusanga. Kikwit is 320 km (200 mi) upstream from the river's confluence at Bandundu and 690 km (430 mi) upstream from the national capital, Kinshasa. The city drains to the Lukemi and Luimi tributaries of the Kwilu River, located within the city.
The elevation of Kikwit is about above sea level, with a minimum of and a maximum of . It is located on the Kwango Plateau and is mostly flat, though some areas have steep slopes. Geologically, the plateau's soil has a high clay content and consists primarily of sandstone and argillite, which cause the formation of regolith and ferralsols. Terraces of iron-heavy rocks were formed during semi-arid periods tens of thousands of years ago. The area is prone to erosion. The regolith and steep areas of the plateau contribute to the formation of gullies, the largest measuring 40 m deep and 60 m across. These often form parallel to roads, and countermeasures are often ineffective at preventing their formation. Vegetation on the plateau consists of savanna and steppes, with some forested areas. Vegetation in the valley includes forested savanna, rainforest, and riparian forest. Plant coverage began degrading in the 1970s due to increased population.
Kikwit's city centre is on the left bank of the Kwilu River, containing dense residential and commercial developments including the market. The right bank is rural and is connected to the left bank by only one bridge, called .
Climate
Kikwit has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw), with an average temperature of about and average annual rainfall of 1,483 mm. The dry season lasts roughly from May to August, though it fluctuates and may last between 80 and 120 days. Rainfall peaks from October to December, with a secondary peak in March and April. In an average year, rainfall peaks at over 230 mm in October or November, and it is lowest in July, when the maximum is about 5 mm. The city has a high humidity, with an average of 85%, which peaks during the season with high rainfall. The highest temperatures occur between April and May and the lowest temperatures between December and February. Daily maximum temperatures occur around 1 or 2 pm. Rainfall measurements in Kikwit, which began in 1955, indicate that the city has become increasingly dry following an increase in rainfall from 1963 to 1968. As the city is near the equator, its atmospheric pressure is low, averaging 1,006.2 hectopascals. Winds blow most commonly from the northeast.
Demographics
Population figures of Kikwit range between 500,000 and 1.4 million. The municipal government reported in 2020 that the city had 1,336,992 inhabitants, including 96 foreign nationals. Despite its large size, it is considered a secondary city compared to others in the country.
Ethnic groups around Kikwit include the Pende and the . Kikwit is in a Kikongo-speaking region, despite not being inhabited by the Kongo people; the language became a lingua franca during the colonial era. Lingala supplanted Kikongo as a lingua franca in the city's markets by the 1990s. The city has thousands of rural migrants. It also has migrants from Kasaï Province, including those who left the declining diamond industry of Kasaï or were internally displaced by Kamwina Nsapu rebellion. Refugees from Angola have also come to the city.
Religion
thumb|upright=0.6|alt=A church spire|The cathedral of the [[Diocese of Kikwit]]
About 60% of Kikwit's population is Catholic, . The city is the seat of the Diocese of Kikwit, which was established as an independent diocese in 1959. Its cathedral, built in 1950, is located in the city centre. Catholic orders that operate in Kikwit include the Jesuits, who operate the Sacre-Cœur parish and nearby Kipalu retreat; the Annonciades; and the Trappists, who operate the Mvanda monastery. Catholic organisations also conduct education, healthcare, and social and community work.
The Catholic Church has operated in Kikwit since 1912, when Jesuit missionaries from Belgium established the Sacre-Cœur mission, originally part of the Apostolic Prefecture of Kwango. The location was selected by Prefect Stanislas De Vos. Missionaries had travelled eastward from Kinshasa, with the goal of increasing the church's presence in the Congo and competing with Protestant presence. The Jesuits were joined by missionaries of the in 1922, the in 1947, the Soeurs de Saint André de Tournai in 1951, the in 1952, and the Annonciades in 1966, as well as a local congregation, the , in 1937. The city continued receiving European missionaries and investment after Congolese independence, but their numbers decreased and local Catholic leaders increased by the late 1970s. The nationalist policies of Mobutu increased the role of Congolese people in the church, and Catholic groups established enterprises and farms to support the community. The 1995 Ebola outbreak solidified social support for the church. European missionaries who funded the diocese left the region by the 2000s, leading to a loss of resources such as transportation.
Although Protestant groups were less active than Catholics in the pre-colonial Kwilu region, the Baptist Mid-Missions established a seminary. A Mennonite Christian mission was founded near Kikwit in the 1920s by Aaron Janzen, a missionary of the Congo Inland Mission. A faction of the Kimbanguist movement called Dieudonné was founded in Kikwit in 1954 by the eponymous religion scholar, Dieudonné. It was popular in the area until being banned in 1956. Another form of Kimbanguism, the Nzambi-Malembe movement, came to Kikwit in 1956.
Economy and social issues
thumb|A worker making [[raffia rope]]
Industries in Kikwit include agriculture and food processing. Media in Kikwit includes the company and the Catholic radio station , which runs news and educational programming.
Governance
thumb|alt=A yellow two-storey building behind a fence with the seal of Kikwit|The city hall of Kikwit
Kikwit is administrated as a city, which is divided into decentralised territorial entities (, ETD). The city is led by the mayor and the ETDs are led by . The city is also divided into four communes:
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Communes of Kikwit
! Commune !! Population<br>(2020 )
|-
| Kazamba || 481,651
|-
| Lukemi || 312,792
|-
| Lukolela || 311,936
|-
| Nzinda || 230,517
|}
The duties of the ETDs include tax collection for local development, as regulated by a 2021 law passed by the city council. The number of people who are taxed varies, and people who lack money are sometimes extra-legally taxed in goods. Activities in the informal economy are not taxed. Many people do not pay required taxes out of unfamiliarity with the law, while many others commit intentional tax evasion. As is the case in other Congolese cities, the ETDs of Kikwit are ineffective due to a lack of public interest. Tax evasion and embezzlement of government funds are common. criminals are active in the absence of security forces and often are not punished due to corrupt officials or improper judicial procedures. are also often subject to arrest without warrant.
Courts in Kikwit include the court of the peace and the high court. The juvenile court of Kikwit opened on 15 April 2011. , Kikwit does not have an —a type of state-run social institution for juvenile offenders—so people sentenced by this court are instead sent to the city's prison.
Land rights in Kikwit are managed by the (property title registrar), with a division to manage contracts and another to map boundaries. Subdivisions are generally not approved until they are already settled, and land ownership is generally not registered. Disputes over land rights comprised 70% of cases at the city's court of the peace and high court between 2015 and 2021. Governor of Kwilu Serge Makongo announced a government plan to parcel public land in September 2020, but this had not occurred by 2024 due to conflicts with existing settlements.
Kikwit is the headquarters of the 1st Military Region of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Colonel Ebeya military camp is located in the commune of Kazamba.
Infrastructure
thumb|[[National Road 1 (Democratic Republic of the Congo)|National Road 1 leading into Kikwit from the west]]
The only highway in Kikwit is National Road 1, which has a bridge crossing the Kwilu River at Kikwit. It connects the city to Kinshasa, to the west; Mwene-Ditu, to the southeast; and Tshikapa, via a crossing of the Loange River. The city's main road is the , part of the highway. There are only four paved roads (), which are largely unmaintained. Most residents traverse the city by foot or ride motorcycle taxis (), as a result of the lack of paved roads. Motorcycles surged in popularity in the 2010s, mostly inexpensive models imported from China, and are more popular than automobiles. Most passengers of motorcycle taxis are men, and most are not poor, as automobile taxis are cheaper. Motorcycle crashes are common, especially during the wet season. Public discourse in the city views roads as economically vital yet dangerous, and it views crash victims, known as , as a consequence of urban life. Kikwit is also home to Kikwit Airport. There have been plans for hydroelectric power from the , which is under construction, but these were delayed by failed tests in August 2024.