Urban Governance Policies in Cameroon and the Crisis of Political Exclusion: A Case Study of the City of Kumba

Abstract

The democratic impulse that spurred a wave of political and economic reform policies in Cameroon in the 1990s appears to have witnessed a reversal. This is the case with urban governance policies. The imposition of state-appointed city administrators on locally elected mayors and councillors in contradiction to the aspirations of citizens has not augured well for local democratic practices. This interventionist drive by the state in the process of local democratization effectively excludes a considerable segment of urban residents from local governance proceedings. To understand the effects of these politically motivated policies on city politics in Cameroon, this paper draws from broad historical data, local press reports, and close observation of on-going development initiatives in the city of Kumba. This is done against the backdrop of persistent structural and political problems associated with the failure of city councils in Cameroon to provide meaningful and consistent service delivery such as garbage disposal. This paper concludes that sustainable urban development in Cameroon could be based on trust that embraces and cuts across all stakeholders within urban municipalities.

Keywords

Bureaucracy exclusion governance local participation trust

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