Paul Bolya was born on 10 October 1924 in Bengale, Équateur Province, Belgian Congo, to a Mongo family.
[1] At the Constituent Congress of Coquilhatville in November 1959 Bolya became the president of the Parti National du Progrès (PNP).
[1] He represented the PNP at the Belgo-Congolese Round Table Conference and was the first delegate to formally propose the adoption of a resolution for Congolese independence.
[4] Bolya served on the Executive Board to the Governor General from March to June 1960.
[1] In May he was selected as a member of the Union des Mongo (UNIMO) to be a senator on behalf of Équateur Province.