An ethnic Ganwa born to a chief in Ruanda-Urundi, he became a close confidant of Mwami Mwambutsa IV in the 1940s after being given charge of a chiefdom which included some of the monarch's property.

In the late 1950s he became involved in the Union for National Progress (UPRONA) party as the Belgian colonial administration prepared to grant Burundi its independence.

Biha left the party after becoming disenchanted with leader Louis Rwagasore's populist style, and held different roles in transitional governments.

[2] He also served as Vice President of the Conseil Supérieur du Pays (Supreme Land Council) from 1954 until its adjournment sine die in 1959.

According to Biha, UPRONA was created in 1957 to protest a Belgian administrative reorganisation that placed Bujumbura and other major locales under their own direct jurisdiction, thus disempowering the monarchy.

[6] According to political scientist Warren Weinstein, UPRONA was created shortly after a 1958 meeting of customary chiefs and clergy convened by Biha and Prince Louis Rwagasore and to discuss nationalist ideas.

Jean-Paul Harroy, Resident-General of Ruanda-Urundi, created the offices of national commissioners under his supervision on 21 July and named Burundians to the posts to give them a chance to practice self-government.

[2] On 26 January 1961 the Harroy signed an ordinance creating an interim government in Urundi;[10] Biha was appointed Minister of Finance.

[2] In response to UN General Assembly resolution 1605, on 6 July the government was modified and enlarged to grant more representation to different political parties, and Biha was dismissed and replaced by Pierre Ngendandumwe.

With approximately 80% voter turnout, UPRONA won 58 of 64 seats in the Legislative Assembly, and Rwagasore was declared prime minister designate.

[20] The installation of Biha infuriated many Hutus and some extremist Tutsis;[1] though he was personally well-respected, his appointment was viewed as an autocratic move by the Mwami.

[22] Late in the night on 18 October, Hutu gendarmes and soldiers led by Secretary of State for the Gendarmerie Antoine Serukwavu mounted a coup attempt against the Burundian government.

While one contingent of putschists attacked the royal palace, a separate group of gendarmes drove to Biha's residence and beckoned him to step outside.

[28] However, with the Mwami outside of the country and the prime minister incapable of discharging his duties, de facto governance fell to the army and the civil service.

[22] On 24 March Mwambutsa issued a decree giving Crown Prince Charles Ndizeye "special powers to co-ordinate and control the activities of the government and the secretariats of state".