KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — 21 October 2026. Miguel Masaisai’s funeral programme sets an overnight vigil for Wednesday, 21 October, followed by a national tribute and private burial on Thursday, 22 October, in Kinshasa. A ministry-branded schedule reproduced by Le Quotidien confirms those dates, despite conflicting dates in some online reports.
The Ministry of Sports and Leisure and the Congolese cycling federation, FECOCY, announced official ceremonies for the cyclist, who died on 18 September. Their communiqué is dated 20 October, according to Le Quotidien’s transcription of the announcement.
When are Miguel Masaisai’s funeral ceremonies? The published programme lists a vigil on 21 October 2026, from 19:00 until 04:00 the next morning, followed by a national tribute at Cinquantenaire hospital on 22 October. Burial is scheduled privately that afternoon. All times below are Kinshasa local time, UTC+1.
The vigil begins on Wednesday evening
The vigil is scheduled at Restaurant Saint-Raphaël at Stade Tata Raphaël, beginning at 19:00 on 21 October and continuing until 04:00 on 22 October. Radio Okapi’s account of the programme identifies the restaurant and overnight hours. The federation’s communiqué describes the venue as the stadium’s banquet hall.
For people travelling from elsewhere in the DRC or following from East Africa, Kinshasa is two hours behind EAT. The vigil therefore begins at 21:00 EAT on Wednesday. These are two descriptions of the same starting time, not separate events.
The overnight timing also means that the vigil’s final hours fall on Thursday. A reference to a Thursday morning vigil should not be mistaken for a new evening gathering on 22 October.
Thursday’s tribute and burial timetable
The ministry-branded programme reproduced alongside Le Quotidien’s report sets out the following arrangements. All entries are announced plans; they do not confirm that an official has attended or that a ceremony has already taken place.
The hospital is the venue for the national tribute. It should not be confused with the stadium venue used for the vigil and later condolence gathering. Radio Okapi places the tribute on the hospital esplanade.
CIVIL SOCIETY
Miguel Masaisai Funeral Programme: Kinshasa Dates and Times
Oct 21, 2026
Oct 21, 2026
4 min read
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KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — 21 October 2026. Miguel Masaisai’s funeral programme sets an overnight vigil for Wednesday, 21 October, followed by a national tribute and private burial on Thursday, 22 October, in Kinshasa. A ministry-branded schedule reproduced by Le Quotidien confirms those dates, despite conflicting dates in some online reports.
The Ministry of Sports and Leisure and the Congolese cycling federation, FECOCY, announced official ceremonies for the cyclist, who died on 18 September. Their communiqué is dated 20 October, according to Le Quotidien’s transcription of the announcement.
When are Miguel Masaisai’s funeral ceremonies? The published programme lists a vigil on 21 October 2026, from 19:00 until 04:00 the next morning, followed by a national tribute at Cinquantenaire hospital on 22 October. Burial is scheduled privately that afternoon. All times below are Kinshasa local time, UTC+1.
The vigil begins on Wednesday evening
The vigil is scheduled at Restaurant Saint-Raphaël at Stade Tata Raphaël, beginning at 19:00 on 21 October and continuing until 04:00 on 22 October. Radio Okapi’s account of the programme identifies the restaurant and overnight hours. The federation’s communiqué describes the venue as the stadium’s banquet hall.
For people travelling from elsewhere in the DRC or following from East Africa, Kinshasa is two hours behind EAT. The vigil therefore begins at 21:00 EAT on Wednesday. These are two descriptions of the same starting time, not separate events.
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The overnight timing also means that the vigil’s final hours fall on Thursday. A reference to a Thursday morning vigil should not be mistaken for a new evening gathering on 22 October.
Thursday’s tribute and burial timetable
The ministry-branded programme reproduced alongside Le Quotidien’s report sets out the following arrangements. All entries are announced plans; they do not confirm that an official has attended or that a ceremony has already taken place.
The hospital is the venue for the national tribute. It should not be confused with the stadium venue used for the vigil and later condolence gathering. Radio Okapi places the tribute on the hospital esplanade.
Public remembrance, with a private burial
The ministry and FECOCY have invited sports organisations, young people, civil society and the wider public to join the commemorations. Digital Congo’s report records that invitation and the plan to honour Masaisai with a posthumous decoration.
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That invitation should be read alongside the programme’s explicit provision for burial in private. The national tribute offers an opportunity for public remembrance; the burial arrangements preserve a separate space for those entitled to attend. No cemetery address is supplied here.
The planned decoration recognises his sporting commitment and advocacy for peace. It remains an announced honour: the programme is not evidence that the presentation has already occurred.
A journey dedicated to peace in eastern Congo
Masaisai used long-distance cycling to draw attention to peace and solidarity with people affected by violence in eastern DRC. His final project, Pedals for Peace, was intended to link Goma with Rabat in Morocco.
Actualite.cd’s September account reports that he began the journey on 1 May 2026. He travelled across the DRC before continuing into the Republic of Congo. The same report, citing official sources in Kinshasa, confirmed his death in a road accident at Ouesso on 18 September. It also records an earlier Goma-to-Cape Town journey in 2025.
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His story belongs to a broader tradition of public peace advocacy from Goma. XTRAfrica has also reported on a women-led Goma music festival using performance and solidarity to call for peace, a separate initiative rather than part of his cycling project.
Which dates should mourners follow?
The published ministry-branded image clearly prints Wednesday, 21 October and Thursday, 22 October. Those dates agree with Radio Okapi, Digital Congo and the communiqué passage reproduced by Le Quotidien. They are the basis of this schedule.
Mourners should check any later notice from the ministry, FECOCY or the organising committee before leaving for a venue. In particular, confirm whether access or timing has changed, use Kinshasa local time when arranging transport, and respect the private-burial restriction. The next scheduled gathering is Wednesday evening’s vigil at Stade Tata Raphaël.
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