The Institute for Development Studies (IDS), in collaboration with ULI Africa, on 3 April 2025, held a seminar themed “Each Other’s Keeper: Where is the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)?”
 

Speaker was Prof. Migai Akech, an accomplished legal scholar and practitioner with an extensive knowledge base and experience in public law and international trade law. He is an Inaugurated Professor of Law at the University of Nairobi and the proprietor of Prof. Migai Akech & Associates, Advocates – a law firm specializing in public law litigation, entertainment law, and trade law. Migai worked as a Governance Expert at the African Union’s African Peer Review Mechanism (2018-2020). He has consulted for local and international organizations, including the African Union (African Peer Review Mechanism), FHI360, the International Development Law Organization (IDLO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Open Society, German Technical Cooperation, and the World Bank. He has worked for these organizations in Kenya, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somaliland, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Discussant: Dalmar Jama

Dalmar is the Acting Technical Advisor to the CEO on Governance, Reviews and Assessments at the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Secretariat, where he advises on the technical aspects of the Governance Reviews and achieving the APRM Key Priority Areas as developed in the Strategic Plan. He also leads a team responsible for formulating and tracking the implementation of the APRM Strategic Plan and its annual work plans. From 2004 to 2024, he coordinated or participated in 15 full review missions in all areas of governance for Ghana, Kenya’s first review mission in 2005, South Africa’s first review mission in 2006 and second review mission in 2021, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Djibouti, Senegal, the Uganda second review in 2017, Namibia, and the Lesotho Targeted Review on Unconstitutional Change of Government in October 2022.

Abstract:

This presentation examines the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) through the lens of the African Union's shared values on democracy, elections, and good governance. It investigates the extent to which AU member states uphold these values and assesses the effectiveness of continental and regional mechanisms in ensuring their implementation.

The analysis reveals a significant gap between theory and practice, despite progress made by governance institutions. Based on this assessment, the presentation proposes reform measures to strengthen the APRM and enhance its impact on governance across the African continent.

YouTube link to the seminar: /sites/ids.uonbi.ac.ke/files/APRM%20seminar%20YouTube%20Link.docx