[3] He served as president of the Association des Lulua-Frères and was a leading member of the Union Nationale Congolaise (UNC) party,[2] adhering to its "moderate and more traditionalist" faction.

[5] Following the general elections in May 1960, Mukenge entered a political alliance with Mouvement National Congolais leader Patrice Lumumba, giving him a majority anti-Luba coalition in the provincial assembly.

[6] He attempted to form a government of unity, but prominent Luba politician Joseph Ngalula weakened his efforts by refusing to join his cabinet.

[10] In August he appealed to the central government to purge the mutineers from the army and to put down Albert Kalonji's secession in the southern portion of the province.

This led another one of his ministers, Albert Onya, and numerous Batetela to accuse him of facilitating the arrest of Lumumba in Kasai by central government authorities.

"[3] He also appealed to the Belgian government to mediate between hostile Lulua and Luba factions and requested economic aid for Kasai, warning that "The Lumumbists are in danger of exploiting hunger and unemployment at home if the Free World does not help us.

"[3] When Lumumbist troops from the rebellious "Free Republic of the Congo" entered Luluabourg unopposed, he wired a message to the city's garrison, calling for the "mobilisation of the population of Kasai" to "repel" the incursion.

[16] He characterised his deposition as a "coup d'etat"[17] and contested the election of Lubaya on the grounds that several unqualified provincial deputies had cast votes and demanded that Parliament reverse the result.

[21] In late October 1961 he and several Lulua leaders made a symbolic union with Kalonji in an attempt to end the Luba-Lulua ethnic conflict.