The inception of the Palais de Marbre dates back to 1970 when Governor
Albert Ndele Bamu of the
National Bank of the Congo initiated its construction. Originally conceived as an "official residence" for himself within the Binza hills of
Ngaliema commune, the design process was entrusted to Eugène Palumbo and Fernand Tala N'Gai's design team, renowned for their work on the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs complex and the
Supreme Court. The resulting structure adopted a
hypermodern, circular design that incorporated segments of the surrounding garden and prominently featured
marble imported from an Italian
quarry, with a statue of a prodigious lion at its main entrance. The design, in harmony with the site's topography, was said to resemble the map of the Congo. Ndele was named Minister of Finance in September 1970 (considered a demotion), then dismissed in 1971. Although the Bank claimed the property in its inventory, the Marble Palace was confiscated by President
Mobutu Sese Seko, who converted it into one of his opulent palaces and a guesthouse for high-ranking visitors, The historic official residence of the
Congolese head of state was situated on Mont
Ngaliema. This presidential compound, however, was heavily looted in 1997 following the collapse of the Mobutu regime during the
First Congo War. On 17 May 1997, troops from the
Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL)—comprising
kadogos (
child soldiers) and
Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) soldiers led by
Laurent-Désiré Kabila—entered Kinshasa, prompting Mobutu to flee into exile in
Morocco, where he later died. Upon seizing power, the AFDL ordered the evacuation of residents from state-owned apartments, often within a single hour. Following Mobutu's ouster,
Laurent-Désiré Kabila took up residence in the Palais de Marbre. According to Joseph Kabila's entourage, he later became the
de facto owner of the property. Following the
2018 general elections,
Félix Tshisekedi succeeded Joseph Kabila and was formally handed the keys to the
Palais de la Nation. However, the presidential villa in the city center, formerly occupied by Kabila, was not transferred. As a result, after spending the first night of his presidency at the Kempinski Hotel, Tshisekedi relocated to the
Cité de l'Union Africaine. == Tourism ==