External publications

Can public participation deepen democracy? Insights from Nakuru City in Kenya

Gutheil, Lena
External Publications (2023)

in: Megatrends Afrika Policy Brief 18 (October 2023)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18449/2023MTA-PB18
Open access

Public participation is an instrument used by governments to increase the effectiveness of decision-making processes and nurture accountability relationships between citizens and government officials. When successfully implemented, public  participation can contribute to deepening democracy. Particularly at the local level, the close proximity between citizens and officials is believed to enable the public to monitor state activities, thereby contributing to more effective and inclusive  governance and service delivery. Kenya is one of the frontrunners in Africa in this regard: The constitutional reforms of 2010 introduced a newly devolved system of governance and institutionalized public participation at all levels. Looking at Nakuru City – a secondary city in Kenya – the policy brief examines to what extent public participation contributes to three values of democratic governance: legitimacy, effectiveness and social justice. It finds that although public participation has contributed to  enhancing social justice, improvements in governance effectiveness and legitimacy are less evident. The lacking responsiveness of local elites in daily interactions, political and legal loopholes, and the public’s narrow scope for participation hamper the creation of productive accountability relationships.