Sama Lukonde

In this Congolese name, the surname is Sama and the post-surname is Lukonde Kyenge.

Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge (born 4 August 1977) is a Congolese politician from the former Katanga Province who served as Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2021^[1] to 2024.^[2] He announced his first cabinet on 12 April 2021.^[3] He is a member of the Future of Congo party. He has been President of the Senate since August 2024.^[4]

Sama Lukonde
Lukonde in 2022
President of the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 August 2024
Preceded by	Pascal Kinduelo Lumbu [fr]
Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In office 26 April 2021 – 12 June 2024
President	Félix Tshisekedi
Preceded by	Sylvestre Ilunga
Succeeded by	Judith Suminwa
Personal details
Born	(1977-08-04) 4 August 1977 (age 48) Paris, France
Political party	Future of Congo

Biography

Lukonde with United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on a visit to Kinshasa in August 2022.^[5]

Lukonde was born on 4 August 1977, in Paris, and is an engineer by training.^[6] He is the son of Stéphane Lukonde Kyenge [fr], an important figure in the political scene of his native Katanga who was assassinated in 2001.^[7]

After being active in politics as a member of the Avenir du Congo (English, Future of Congo) party, and becoming one of the youngest deputy at the National Assembly, Lukonde was named Minister of Youth, Sports, and Leisure in December 2014, during the Joseph Kabila Presidency.^[7] He served in this position for 10 months, before resigning to support his party in their opposition to Kabila's bid for a third successive term as President.^[7]

In June 2019, Lukonde became the Director-General of Gécamines: one of the largest mining companies in Africa, and the biggest in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He was appointed to this position by President Félix Tshisekedi in June 2019.^[8] Prior to this position, he was also deputy general administrator of the Congo National Railway Company.^[9]

He was named Prime Minister by Tshisekedi in February 2021.^[10] He later named his cabinet.^[11] On 20 February 2024, Lukonde tendered his resignation to President Tshisikedi^[12] after he decided to join the National Assembly as a member from the Kasenga Territory, having won the seat during the general election of December 2023.^[13] He served as acting prime minister until the installation of a new government^[14] led by former planning minister Judith Tuluka on 12 June 2024.^[2]

On August 12, 2024, Sama Lukonde Kyenge was elected President of the Senate, with 84 votes out of 96.^[15]