The Global Democracy Coalition, in partnership with the Nuru Trust Network and Youth for SDGs Kenya, will next week host the GDC Africa Regional Forum 2026 in Nairobi, themed “Reclaiming the Democratic Promise: Youth Agency, Digital Resilience, and Combating Kleptocracy in Africa.”
The one-day forum will gather over 150 in-person participants and a broader multi-stakeholder virtual audience, including policymakers, civil society leaders, youth representatives, and international partners. Sponsored by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, the forum aims to foster critical discussions on the future of democratic governance in Africa.
A keynote address will be delivered by Fikirini Jacobs, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, Kenya. He will focus on the significance of youth leadership, digital innovation, and governance reforms in enhancing democratic participation and accountability across the continent.
Held at Gigiri in Nairobi, the forum will address key challenges facing democratic systems in Africa, such as shrinking civic space, misinformation, digital repression, and barriers to inclusive participation, particularly for youth, women, and marginalized communities.
The event will feature a diverse array of speakers and institutions from Africa and beyond, including representatives from the National Youth Council (Kenya), Afrobarometer, the African Union Commission, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Accountability Lab, the Indian Ocean Commission, Partners Global, and the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), among others.
Participants will engage in panel discussions, cross-regional dialogues, and interactive sessions to explore how democratic legitimacy is challenged and rebuilt in various contexts. Organizers disclosed that emphasis will be placed on youth agency, digital resilience, and leveraging technology to promote transparency and combat corruption.
The discussions will aim to generate practical, action-oriented recommendations for strengthening civic engagement, protecting digital rights, and supporting inclusive governance systems across Sub-Saharan Africa. Insights from the forum will contribute to a broader Africa Regional Report and inform global democracy discussions within the framework of the Global Democracy Coalition.
The GDC Africa Regional Forum 2026 is the first of a series of regional dialogues organized by the Global Democracy Coalition, which will also include convenings in the Americas, Asia, and Europe. Collectively, the forums seek to connect grassroots experiences and regional insights with global policy processes, ensuring that diverse perspectives, particularly from Africa, play a central role in shaping global democratic renewal efforts.
Through these dialogues, context-specific lessons and priorities will contribute to a shared global conversation, with outcomes feeding into broader strategies to enhance democratic governance at both regional and global levels.
