The city of Butembo in North Kivu has paid tribute to its first city chief, Romain Matokeo Musavuli, with the inauguration of a monument in his honour on Friday, September 19, 2025.
The ceremony, held at the VGH roundabout on Matokeo Avenue, was presided over by the city’s mayor and senior commissioner, Mowa Baeki Telly Roger.
In his speech before cutting the symbolic ribbon, Commissioner Roger highlighted Musavuli’s pivotal role in transforming Butembo from a small village into a thriving city. “In the interest of contributing to the building of the city of Butembo, which has evolved from a village to an extra-customary center, then a city, a commune, and finally a town since 1949 to the present day, the first city chief, Romain Matokeo Musavuli, whose monument we are inaugurating today for the feats he achieved, deserves to be immortalized through this building,” he said.
Roger praised Musavuli’s leadership across three terms, noting his dynamism, interpersonal skills, and commitment to urban planning and community life. “Through him, our city was renowned for its good planning, its cleanliness, and its community life, all good practices that we continue to perpetuate to this day,” he added.
Representing Musavuli’s extended family, Kakule Musavuli Bierhof reflected on the timing of the inauguration, 27 years after the late chief’s death.
“Twenty-seven years to the day after the death of the city’s architect, is this a coincidence? The number 27 is associated with spiritual maturity, wisdom, generosity, and humanity. We express our deep and genuine gratitude to all of you today,” he said.
Romain Matokeo Musavuli led Butembo from 1949 to 1981, overseeing its transition from a village to a recognized town. He passed away in 1998. His legacy has been commemorated in the past through the naming of an avenue and a stadium.
The new monument, completed in four months at a cost of approximately US$9,270, adds to these enduring tributes and stands as a lasting symbol of Musavuli’s contributions to Butembo’s development.
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