Kibangu Keleka

king of Kazembe

Also known as: Kazembe IV

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June 30, 2026

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Kibangu Keleka was the king of Kazembe, a large and organized Lunda kingdom in central Africa, reigning from 1805 to 1850. Kazembe, the title of its rulers, occupied territory in present-day Congo (Kinshasa) and northern Zambia at its peak around 1800. The kingdom was established around 1740 and expanded through conquest. Kibangu Keleka encouraged trade with Portuguese traders from Angola, making Kazembe a significant hub for trade between the African interior and the Portuguese and Arabs on the eastern coast. The kingdom eventually declined due to disputed successions and civil war, being destroyed around 1890.1

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2 Britannica Sources

Kazembe
Luba

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Kazembe
His grandson, Kazembe IV, known as Kibangu Keleka (reigned 1805–50), encouraged contacts with Portuguese traders from Angola, and Kazembe became an important centre of trade between the peoples in the central African interior and the Portuguese and Arabs on the eastern coast.
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His grandson, Kazembe IV, known as Kibangu Keleka (reigned 1805–50), encouraged contacts with Portuguese traders from Angola, and Kazembe became an important centre of trade between the peoples in the central African interior and the Portuguese and Arabs on the eastern coast.
Read More