Judith Suminwa, the first female prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, takes the oath of office

Judith Suminwa Tuluka took the oath of office as the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) first female prime minister early on Wednesday.

Tuluka and the other 54 new government members formally assumed office before the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the DRC parliament, when deputies granted Tuluka’s action program the necessary absolute majority.

During her presentation of her action agenda on Tuesday afternoon, Tuluka expressed her pride in being the first female Congolese prime minister and shattering the “glass ceiling”.

“I am completely aware of the historical significance of this moment and the significance of this appointment for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am really proud of the concept of representing the Republic as the pinnacle of the efforts of all Congolese men and women striving to shatter the infamous “glass ceiling,” but I also feel a great deal of responsibility,” Tuluka said.

Along with laying out plans for national security, economic diversification, infrastructure connectivity, public services, and climate change, she pledged to create an academy of mathematics and artificial intelligence in Kinshasa and lay the foundation for a “emerging Congo” by creating about 2.6 million jobs.

Tuluka, who holds an applied economics master’s degree from Belgium’s Universite libre de Bruxelles, was named state minister for planning in March 2023. She further worked as the deputy coordinator of the presidential office-affiliated Presidential Strategic Monitoring Council from 2020 to 2023.

Compared to the 57 members of the March 2023 reshuffle, this new government, which was presented on May 29, has 55 members, including the prime minister, six deputy prime ministers, and ten state ministers.