Building Public Trust in Institutions for Better Governance

The 6th edition of the AL for Governance Journal, themed “Building Public Trust in Institutions for Better Governance”, brings together a collection of policy briefs developed by members of the AL for Governance Network, including two African Leadership Academy students, in collaboration with Afrobarometer.

Drawing on Afrobarometer data and comparative case studies, the collection examines the widening gap across Africa between strong support for democracy and declining trust in public institutions. The research is clear.

Institutional credibility is weakening across key sectors despite resilient democratic values. This trust deficit is most evident in electoral governance, where high support for elections contrasts with declining confidence in electoral bodies in countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Similar patterns emerge in health and justice systems, where access and fairness are shaped not only by policy design but also by governance quality and public trust. Corruption and weak accountability further reinforce this erosion of legitimacy across multiple contexts.

The journal proposes reforms centred on transparency, citizen participation, stronger oversight, and data-driven governance tools.