Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, Kembo Ekoko moved to France when he was six years old and lived in Bondy, Île-de-France with his uncle and older sister.

His mother decided to send him to Europe for education, while his parents remained in Zaire (later renamed DR Congo in 1997).

[2] In his first season, Kembo Ekoko made his debut, coming on for Jimmy Briand in the late minutes of a 2–1 loss against Lille.

Under Pierre Dréossi, Kembo Ekoko played his first game in the UEFA Cup against Lokomotiv Sofia in a 2–1 loss, before coming off for Jérôme Leroy.

In the next UEFA Cup match, Kembo Ekoko set up a goal for Bruno Cheyrou in a 1–1 draw against Brann.

In his third season, Kembo Ekoko made 13 appearances and scored 3 goals, under Dréossi's successor Guy Lacombe.

In his fifth season, Kembo Ekoko managed to make a return to the first team after Gyan and Bangoura both left the club, and received Víctor Montaño.

This allowed manager Antonetti to give him more playing time[7][8] He scored three goals in three games against Lyon, Auxerre and Brest.

His performance led the federation of Congo to ask Kembo Ekoko to join the national team, in his father's footsteps, but he declined, insisting he should concentrate on his club career.

[10] In his sixth season, Kembo Ekoko came on as a substitute for Razak Boukari and after ten minutes, he scored the only goal in the game against French giant Marseille.