Joseph Okito was a Congolese politician and close political ally to Patrice Lumumba who briefly served as Second Vice-President of the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
14 Facts About Joseph Okito
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Joseph Okito was executed alongside Lumumba in Katanga in 1961.
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Joseph Okito was born on 5 February 1910 in the village of Koyapongo, Lusambo Territory, Belgian Congo.
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Joseph Okito worked for the colonial administration for many years, serving as the chief of the Batetela sector of the Lusambo Territory.
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Joseph Okito was cited by the evolues of Luluabourg in a March 1944 memorandum as an example of a dedicated civil servant.
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Joseph Okito was later admitted into the Union des Interets Sociaux Congolais, an elite cultural society for evolues.
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Joseph Okito was co-opted into the Kasai Provincial Council in 1957, serving until 1959.
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Joseph Okito thought the training would assist him in a future political career.
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Joseph Okito was sent to Lusambo to shadow the district commissioner and was educated on the principles of administration for one hour each day.
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The union later merged into the moderate Parti National du Progres, but Joseph Okito was convinced by Patrice Lumumba to join the nationalist the Mouvement National Congolais.
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In March 1960 Joseph Okito participated in the Akutshu-Anamongo Congress of Lodja, serving as one of the conference's vice presidents.
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Joseph Okito competed for the position of First Vice-President of the Senate, but lost against BALUBAKAT politician Jacques Masangu.
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Joseph Okito was captured before he could complete his escape and imprisoned at the army camp in Thysville.
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Joseph Okito was preemptively arrested near Kikwit and was later transferred to the camp, along with Minister of Youth and Sports Maurice Mpolo.