Kikwit is the largest city of
Kwilu Province, lying on the
Kwilu River
The Kwilu River is a major river in the Kwilu Province formerly known as Bandundu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to the city of Bandundu, where it joins the Kwango River just before this stream enters the Kasai River. ...
in the southwestern part of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
. Kikwit is also known in the region under the nickname "The Mother". The population is approximately 458,000 (2017). An important
commercial centre, it is home to a
stadium
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
and is known for its
traditional dances, in particular the
Bapende dancers whose geographic origin centers on the village of
Gungu. Bapende dancers often wear traditional costumes comprising colorful masks and attire made from
raffia. Kikwit is also home to an airport (
Kikwit Airport) and is connected to the capital
Kinshasa by a new road and river transport.
In 1995 the city saw a serious outbreak of the deadly
Ebola virus.
Singer
King Kester Emeneya
Jean Baptiste Emeneya Mubiala Kwamambu (November 23, 1956 – February 13, 2014) was a Congolese singer best known as King Kester Emeneya.
He was born in Kikwit within the Democratic Republic of the Congo. While being a student of political scie ...
was born in Kikwit in 1956. In April 2014, a tribute concert held in Kikwit to honor King Kester Emeneya ended in disaster, and at least thirteen people in the stadium died in a stampede following a power failure.
See also
*
University of Kikwit
The University of Kikwit (UNIKI) is a public university in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, located in the province of Bandundu, city of Kikwit. At its creation, it was an ''Extension of the University of Kinshasa'', then called ''Universi ...
*
Matthew Lukwiya
The Pende people are also from Idiofa and Tshikapa (Kasai). The Pende dancers are known as Mungandji (1) or Mingandji (many).
References
External links
An article about Kikwit in Britannica Online Encyclopedia
Populated places in Kwilu Province
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