Towards Inclusive and Accountable Party Systems: Regional Workshop on Political Party Regulation in Africa

ORPPs from Kenya, Malawi and Sierra Leone meet in Freetown to validate findings and advance a shared roadmap for regional collaboration

Representatives from the Offices of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPPs) of Kenya, Malawi and Sierra Leone gathered in Freetown on 1–2 December 2025 for a regional workshop dedicated to strengthening political party regulation and advancing gender and youth inclusion across party systems.

The event — hosted by the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC) of Sierra Leone and co-organised by the Christian Democratic International Centre (KIC) and the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP) under the WYDE Political Parties Project — marked a key milestone in the implementation of a comparative study commissioned by KIC on behalf of the project.

A milestone in validating country findings and building regional alignment

The workshop provided the first in-person platform for ORPP representatives, researchers and partners to validate the preliminary findings of the comparative study examining legal frameworks, institutional mandates and regulatory practices in the three participating countries. A central focus throughout the study has been the mechanisms — and gaps — related to gender and youth inclusion in political parties.

Discussions enabled participants to:

• review and affirm country-specific findings from Malawi, Kenya and Sierra Leone
• engage in in-depth dialogue on shared challenges and best practices
• refine the comparative analysis synthesising data from all three contexts
• identify priorities for strengthening regulation, transparency and inclusion

These exchanges underscored the crucial role played by political party regulatory bodies in creating enabling environments for more representative and accountable party systems.

Charting a path toward AAPPRA

A central outcome of the workshop was the collective reflection on the proposed roadmap toward establishing the Africa Association of Political Party Regulatory Authorities (AAPPRA) — a long-term vision aimed at deepening cooperation, harmonising standards and promoting peer learning among national regulators across the continent.

ORPP representatives emphasised how a regional platform could:

• facilitate continuous dialogue on regulatory reforms
• strengthen institutional capacities
• advance gender and youth inclusion standards
• support more transparent, credible and accountable party systems

The workshop concluded with an agreement on next steps, including a future hybrid meeting to consolidate recommendations and operationalise the framework for AAPPRA.

Strengthening collaboration for inclusive democratic systems

By bringing together institutions responsible for political party oversight, the workshop reinforced the broader objectives of the WYDE Political Parties Project: to promote inclusive, transparent and accountable political party systems that reflect the voices of women and young people.

Partner organisations expressed their appreciation to PPRC Sierra Leone for hosting the meeting and to all participants for their commitment to advancing regulatory cooperation and democratic resilience in Africa.