In 1933 the original four provinces of the Belgian Congo were reorganized into six provinces, named after their capitals, and the central government assumed more control.[1]Congo-Kasaï province was split, with the eastern part renamed Lusambo Province.
The number of districts in the colony was reduced to 15.[2]
Lusambo Province contained the districts of Sankuru to the east and Kasai to the west.[3]
Lusambo Province was renamed Kasai Province in 1947 and some of the districts were divided up.
A 1955–1957 map shows that Sankuru District had been divided into a smaller Sankuru District to the north and a new Kabinda District to the south, while Kasai District had been divided into a smaller Kasai District to the west and a new Lulua district to the southeast.[4]
Lulua District bordered Sankuru District to the north, Kabinda District to the east, Haut-Lomami District to the south, the Portuguese territories to the southwest and Kasai District to the west.[4]
The area was 48,100 square kilometres (18,600 sq mi) out of a total of 323,100 square kilometres (124,700 sq mi) for Kasai province as a whole.[5]
Luluabourg province was created in 1962 from the former Kasai Province. It was incorporated into Kasai-Occidental in 1966 under the Mobutu regime.
Presidents (from 1965, governors) of Luluabourg province were
September 1962 - September 1963 François Luakabwanga (1st time)
September 1963 - 25 September 1964 André Lubaya (d. 1968)
25 September 1964 - December 1965 François Luakabwanga (2nd time)
January 1966 - 18 April 1966 Constantin Tshilumba
18 April 1966 - 25 April 1966 François Luakabwanga (3rd time)
Lulua was one of 25 new provinces specified in the country's Constitution (effective 18 February 2006).[6]
Lulua District would be combined with the city of Kananga to form the new province, and Kananga would be the capital.[7]
This was completed in 2015, forming the new province of Kasaï-Central.[8]