Pan-African Workshop in Nairobi Warns of Leadership Crisis and Institutional Fragmentation
The Centre for Pan-African Studies at SOAS University of London, in partnership with the Rift Valley Institute, convened a three-day workshop in Nairobi from 4 to 6 May 2026 under the title Africa at the Crossroads: Crisis, Leadership, and the Pan-African Imperative.
The workshop brought together senior Pan-Africanists, scholars, practitioners, civil society leaders, and youth organizers from across the African continent and the diaspora.
A central theme throughout the workshop was the growing crisis of political leadership across the continent. Discussions focused on the widening gap between governing elites and citizens, particularly young people facing unemployment, economic insecurity, rising living costs, and shrinking political space. Participants raised concerns about growing public frustration with political systems that increasingly appear disconnected from popular demands and everyday realities.
The workshop also examined the condition of Pan-Africanism itself at a time of intensifying geopolitical competition and global instability. Participants highlighted concerns that many Pan-African institutions remain fragmented and under-resourced, while the language of liberation, solidarity, and continental unity is increasingly invoked rhetorically without meaningful political change. Discussions repeatedly returned to the widening distance between the ideals historically associated with Pan-Africanism and the realities confronting many African societies today.
Several sessions focused on the changing international environment and the growing pressures facing African states and regional institutions. Participants explored the implications of geopolitical rivalry, expanding external influence in African affairs, debt pressures, economic dependency, and weakening multilateral frameworks. Concerns were raised about the limited capacity of African states to respond collectively to global political and economic shifts, as well as the erosion of strategic autonomy across the continent.
Democratic regression emerged as another major theme. Discussions reflected on declining public trust in political institutions, the weakening of democratic accountability, and the increasing concentration of power within governing elites. Particular attention was given to the growing use of coercive measures against youth-led protests and civic mobilization in several countries. The workshop stressed that younger generations are not a threat to political stability but a vital force for democratic renewal and the future of Pan-African political life.
On the African Union, the workshop acknowledged the significant institutional and normative developments achieved since the transition from the OAU to the AU. At the same time, discussions highlighted the continuing gap between institutional commitments and implementation. Participants raised concerns about accountability, representation, and the limited involvement of ordinary African citizens in continental decision-making processes.
The relationship between Pan-Africanism and the diaspora formed another important area of discussion. Participants emphasized the historical role of diaspora political and intellectual traditions in shaping Pan-African thought and reaffirmed the continuing importance of transnational connections across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, and beyond.
The workshop also explored the role of grassroots organizations in sustaining independent debate on African political futures. The importance of preserving civic spaces capable of supporting critical engagement with questions of sovereignty, democracy, regional cooperation, and global order was widely affirmed.
The workshop concluded with discussions emphasizing the need for stronger continental cooperation, greater political accountability, deeper engagement with younger generations, and more substantive forms of Pan-African practice grounded in democratic participation rather than symbolic performance.
