Can Public Participation Deepen Democracy? (Nakuru City, Kenya)

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. Looks at Nakuru City - a secondary city in Kenya - the Megatrends Africa (collaboration between German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), German Institute of Development and Sustainability (SWP) Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IFW)) 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. Ultimately, the lack of responsiveness from local elites, political and legal loopholes, and the limited scope for public participation hinder the creation of productive accountability relationships, preventing the full potential of public participation from being realised