ABSTRACT
Governments across Africa have undergone repeated decentralization reforms since the early colonial period. 1 Since the late 1980s, decentralization reforms are once again sweeping the continent, as well as the rest of the developing world (UNCDF, 2000, pp5–11). 2 Ethiopia, Ghana, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda have constitutions that are pro-decentralization recognizing the existence of local government (Therkildsen, 1993, p83; UNCDF, 2000; Tötemeyer, 2000, p95). In this most recent wave of decentralizations, the language of reform has shifted from an emphasis on national cohesion and the management of local populations to a discourse more focused on democratization, governance, pluralism and rights. According to Oyugi (2000, p16) ‘there is not a single country in Africa in which some form of local government is not in operation’ and, he points out, the stated objective of virtually all decentralization reforms is to strengthen democratic governance and service provision.
