Strengthening Political Party Regulation and Regional Cooperation in Africa

From 27 to 29 April 2026, political party regulatory authorities from across Africa will gather in Nairobi, Kenya, for a regional conference focused on strengthening political party regulation and promoting more inclusive and accountable political party systems across the continent. The conference will bring together representatives from Kenya, Sierra Leone and Malawi, alongside international partners and experts in political party governance.

Hosted by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties of Kenya, the conference builds on previous regional exchanges and aims to further strengthen cooperation among political party regulatory authorities in Africa. The event is organised in partnership with the Christian Democratic International Centre (KIC), the Political Parties Regulation Commission of Sierra Leone, the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties of Malawi, and the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP), within the framework of the WYDE Political Parties project.

Political parties play a central role in democratic governance as the main channels through which citizens organise politically, express interests and participate in public decision-making. Effective and transparent regulation of political parties is therefore essential to ensure accountability, fairness and inclusive political participation. Across many African countries, political party regulatory authorities face similar challenges related to political party financing, internal party democracy, dispute resolution and the meaningful participation of women and youth in political processes.

The Nairobi conference will provide a platform for peer learning, exchange of experiences and technical discussions on key regulatory issues. The agenda will include sessions on political party financing mechanisms, digitalisation of regulatory systems, governance models for political party oversight, conflict prevention and mediation within political parties, and approaches to institutionalising women and youth participation in political processes.

A key milestone of the conference will be the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding among the participating regulatory authorities. This agreement will formalise their commitment to continued cooperation and will lay the foundation for the African Association of Political Party Regulatory Authorities (AAPPRA), a regional platform aimed at strengthening collaboration, knowledge exchange and institutional capacity among political party regulatory bodies in Africa.

By supporting regional cooperation and institutional strengthening among political party regulatory authorities, the WYDE Political Parties project contributes to the development of more inclusive, transparent and accountable political party systems, and to strengthening democratic governance through improved political party regulation and participation.

Event: AAPPRA Conference – Strengthening Political Party Regulation and Regional Collaboration in Africa
Date: 27–29 April 2026
Location: Nairobi, Kenya (Villa Rosa Kempinski & Safari Park Hotel)
Host: Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), Kenya
Organised by: Christian Democratic International Centre (KIC) in partnership with the Political Parties Regulation Commission Sierra Leone, Office of the Registrar of Political Parties Malawi, and the European Network of Political Foundations (ENoP)
Project: WYDE Political Parties – funded by the European Union
Participants: Political party regulatory authorities from Kenya, Sierra Leone and Malawi, international partners, and experts in political party regulation
Main topics: Political party financing, digitalisation of political party regulation, regulatory governance models, conflict prevention and mediation within political parties, women and youth political participation, and regional cooperation among political party regulatory authorities
Key outcome: Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the foundation for the African Association of Political Party Regulatory Authorities (AAPPRA)