LPSA Seminar: Decentralization, National Oversight and Accountability — A Kenya–South Africa Dialogue

The LPSA Expert Working Group on Sub-Saharan Africa (LPSA Africa) is a regional working group of the Local Public Sector Alliance that brings together government officials, policy practitioners, scholars, civil society organizations and citizens who share an interest and expertise in decentralization, multilevel governance, intergovernmental relations, local governance and local development across the region. The Local Public Sector Alliance (LPSA), in collaboration with the South African Research Chair in Multilevel Government, Dullah Omar Institute have organized a special hybrid seminar on the theme, Decentralization, National Oversight and Accountability: A Kenya–South Africa Dialogue.

Kenya and South Africa are in different stages of implementing ambitious decentralization programs. Key to the current debates in both countries is the question of how to ensure national oversight over subnational governments without compromising local and regional democracy. After decentralization, national governments still want to safeguard national standards and compliance, but counties and local governments want to exercise local discretion. This dialogue examines that balance by looking, amongst other things, at the ongoing Review of the White Paper on Local Government in South Africa, as well as the debate on the role of the Senate vis-à-vis counties in Kenya. The discussion has relevance for all countries that are considering or implementing decentralization reforms.

The seminar will take place on 28 July 2026, from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm, at in Nairobi, Kenya. Prof. Jaap de Visser, National Research Chair in Multilevel Government, Law and Development at the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, will serve as the lead speaker. The session will be moderated by Judy Oduma, Co-Chair of the Local Public Sector Alliance (LPSA) Expert Working Group on Sub-Saharan Africa. The event will be structured as a dialogue, followed by a networking session.

This event builds on LPSA’s previous convening in Nairobi: the May 2024 workshop on “Elevating the Debate on Decentralization and Multilevel Governance in Africa,” which served as a platform for experts, practitioners and policymakers from across Africa to exchange experiences on decentralization reforms, multilevel governance, local democracy and localization, and to identify collective priorities for advancing the debate and practice in the region.

Registration for this meeting is required.

Attendance options:

• In person at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi —  Seating is limited, so please RSVP by emailing africa@decentralization.net
• Online via Zoom — register in advance at the separate link below. Registration is required for online participation, and you will receive a confirmation email with joining instructions afterward: Zoom Registration!

For more information, please reach out to the LPSA Africa Coordinator at africa@decentralization.net.