DR Congo · Public Money
DR Congo’s National Assembly is reported to have created a commission of inquiry into more than US$7 million that the government paid out to restart SOTEXKI, a textile mill in Kisangani that lawmakers say has not restarted.
The National Assembly is the lower house of parliament. SOTEXKI, the Société Textile de Kisangani, is a cloth maker in Kisangani, a city in the north-east of the country.
Key Facts
- What happened Congo’s National Assembly is reported to have created an inquiry into the SOTEXKI textile mill relaunch; not independently confirmed.
- The money More than US$7 million of a planned US$17.5 million was paid out from 2023.
- The mill SOTEXKI, in Kisangani, has not restarted, lawmakers say.
- Earlier step On 29 April 2026 lawmakers questioned the industry minister; the Prime Minister suspended further payments.
- Still open The panel’s size, deadline and start date are reported but not confirmed.
What Is Reported About the Inquiry
The inquiry is reported to rest on a resolution read to the chamber on Friday, 6 November 2026, by rapporteur Jacques Djoli, the member who presents a text to the chamber. It is reported to cover how the government used the funds it disbursed, with 23 members and 30 days to finish.
We could not confirm these details from the resolution text or from a second independent report. Treat the size, the deadline and the vote itself as reported, not confirmed.
Why Lawmakers Asked for It
The push began on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, when Théoveul Lotika Likwela, the lawmaker for Kisangani, put an oral question to Justin Kalumba Mwana Ngongo, the entrepreneurship minister who also acts as industry minister. Prime Minister Judith Suminwa then suspended the remaining payments after irregularities were reported.
The government had planned US$17.5 million in all, and a first tranche, or instalment, of more than US$7 million was paid out from 2023. Lawmakers want to know how that money was spent, because the mill has not restarted.
A Mill Long in Decline
SOTEXKI was created in 1971 and has operated since 1974. The Council of Ministers, the cabinet, approved a plan to relaunch it on Friday, 9 September 2022, costed at US$17.5 million.
The money paid so far is less than half of that estimate. Lawmakers say the plant has not restarted, so the question is what the first instalment bought.
What It Means for You
For US readers, this is a small but telling case of lawmakers asking where public money for an industrial project went. Companies and donors that deal with Congolese state-linked firms should keep records that can answer such questions.
More on the country’s economy is in our guide to who drives the DR Congo economy and our DR Congo coverage. Our report on the US and Congo minerals pact review covers the wider relationship.
What Is Not Known
It is not confirmed that the Assembly has passed the resolution, or what its text says about the panel’s size, deadline and start date. No finding of wrongdoing has been made, because establishing the facts would be the commission’s job.
It is also not known where the money went, or whether any relaunch will resume while the inquiry runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SOTEXKI?
SOTEXKI is the Société Textile de Kisangani, a cloth maker in Kisangani, in north-eastern DR Congo. It was created in 1971 and has operated since 1974.
How much money is involved?
More than US$7 million, a first instalment of a planned US$17.5 million, was paid out from 2023. Lawmakers want to know how it was spent.
Has the inquiry started?
The Assembly is reported to have adopted a resolution creating an inquiry. We could not confirm its text, size or start date.
Sources: Parliamentary debate of 29 April 2026 and sitting of 6 November 2026 as publicly described; Council of Ministers meeting of 9 September 2022. The text of the resolution was not available to us. Read 9 November 2026.
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