In a live television appearance, First Vice-President of the National Assembly Jean-Claude Tshilumbayi presented what he described as a comprehensive seven-year record of achievements under President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration, responding directly to critics who accuse the government of seeking constitutional changes to conceal governance failures.

The social sector saw dramatic improvements, he noted, with the introduction of free primary education bringing an estimated 6 million children back into classrooms and free maternal care benefiting 2.5 million Congolese women.

Addressing the state of the civil service, Tshilumbayi outlined how the administration cleared a backlog of 1 million unregistered civil servants—hired during electoral campaigns without matriculation numbers or salaries—and regularized 400,000 ghost workers who had not received pay for years. “We ensured every one of them was paid,” he declared.

The health sector also experienced a major overhaul: the number of doctors rose from just 1,700, earning $300 monthly, to 7,800 today, each now receiving $2,400. Similarly, magistrates’ salaries increased from $400 to $2,400, while police officers’ pay rose from $80 to $300 per month.

Infrastructure development featured prominently in the review. The government claimed to have built 7 major hospitals, including the long-neglected Mama Yemo Hospital in Kinshasa, 1,500 new schools, world-class universities, multiple new airports, and expanded the national road network from 3,000 to 9,000 kilometers—all within seven years.

Economically, Tshilumbayi highlighted a six-fold increase in the national budget, from $3 billion to $18 billion, alongside a significant surge in foreign reserves. He dismissed suggestions that constitutional reform masked governance failures, concluding, “The debate over changing the Constitution is absurd. The real question is: how should our people express their will?”