It was founded in June 1969 but officially in 1986 by Ne Muanda Nsemi, who was the group's leader until his death and is mainly based in the Kongo Central (Bas-Congo) province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In February 2007, the followers of Bundu dia Kongo demonstrated against alleged corruption in the provincial elections, which led to violent clashes with the police and the military in Matadi, Muanda, Boma and Songololo.

In February 2017, new violent clashes between Congolese police and BDK activists were reported in Kimpese, resulting in at least eight group members being killed.

[8] On 17 May 2017, BDK followers freed their leader, Ne Muanda Nsemi, and 50 other inmates after attacking and causing a jailbreak at the Makala jail in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[9] In March 2020, police dispersed several BDK members in Kinshasa for defying a ban on gatherings of more than 20 people imposed to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

[10] The police response was condemned by Human Rights Watch as excessive, noting for example, that the April 22 raid in Songololo killed at least 15 people, and included burning down the targeted house and allegedly putting some of the bodies on public display.