THE HOUSE OF CHAOS: WHEN PARLIAMENT TURNS INTO A STAGE OF SHAME
The return of the Congolese Parliament this September was supposed to mark a new beginning after three months of recess. It was meant to be a time to discuss the country’s problems, to pass a national budget, and to focus on the pain of millions who suffer every day. Instead, what we saw in Kinshasa was not leadership, but theatre.
The session opened with noise, anger, and petitions. Members of Parliament stood not to defend the people, but to attack each other. Some demanded the removal of Vital Kamerhe, the President of the National Assembly, accusing him of corruption, poor management, and blocking parliamentary work. Others in the Senate turned their anger toward Sama Lukonde, the head of the upper house. What should have been a moment of unity became another display of greed and self-interest.
Crispin Mbindule, the MP who led the petition, said that Kamerhe has been hiding how the Assembly’s money is used and ignoring the social struggles of MPs. He accused him of leading the parliament like a private company and treating oversight laws as toys. These are serious words, but they show how weak our system has become. Le pouvoir est devenu un marché — power has become a marketplace. Everyone is buying influence and selling loyalty.
When Vital Kamerhe finally spoke, his words sounded soft but empty. He called himself a peacemaker and asked for forgiveness from those he may have offended. “Am I not the one you affectionately call the peacemaker?” he said. But Congo does not need peace in words; it needs peace in actions. What kind of peace comes from hiding the truth and playing with public money while the nation bleeds?
This is not the first time Vital Kamerhe has faced accusations. The people remember how his name was linked to millions of stolen dollars during his time as chief of staff. They remember how justice was used like a game, how some cases disappear, and how the same faces keep returning to power. Toujours les mêmes noms, toujours les mêmes mensonges — always the same names, always the same lies.
Our leaders speak of forgiveness, but they never speak of change. They speak of peace, but they never speak of justice. How can we forgive when corruption is constant? How can we trust those who keep apologising without fixing anything? The people of Congo are not fools. They see everything. They know that those who sit in Parliament today are the same ones who have failed them for years.
Parliament should be a place where the voices of the poor are heard, not where the rich protect each other. Every fight inside that building is another betrayal of the people outside its gates. While they argue, children go hungry. While they shout, soldiers die in the East. While they ask for forgiveness, families bury their dead.
We must stop pretending. Congo will not change through empty apologies. It will change when those in power fear the people more than they fear losing their chairs. Le peuple d’abord — the people first. That should be the only petition that matters.
For now, we wait and see, as Kamerhe said. But the people are watching. And one day, it will not be the MPs filing petitions. It will be the nation itself asking every corrupt leader the same question: Where is our Congo?
Finally, someone is speaking the truth without fear. For years, Parliament has been nothing but a stage for selfish politicians pretending to care. Kamerhe, Lukonde, all of them are busy protecting their pockets while the people are suffering. “Le peuple commence à se réveiller,” and when that happens, no apology will save them. This article says exactly what so many of us have been thinking but were afraid to say.
This is one of the most honest articles I’ve read about Congolese politics in a long time. It paints the real picture, noise, chaos, and zero accountability. Our leaders have turned the Parliament into a circus instead of a house of the people. Thank you for showing courage and calling things by their name. We need more voices like this that can inspire the next generation to demand justice.
This article is too harsh and one-sided. You talk about Kamerhe as if he has done nothing right, yet he’s one of the few leaders trying to keep the Parliament together. People don’t realize how complicated governance is. Instead of attacking him, maybe try to understand that leadership takes patience and diplomacy. Congo needs unity, not more division from angry bloggers.