Enshrined in both the 1996 Constitution and the 2019 General Code of Regional and Local Authorities, the promise of devolving power to local communities still rings hollow for many. Despite bold legal frameworks, progress has been sluggish. Without real autonomy, effective local infrastructure, and dependable finance, the principle of decentralisation risks being little more than rhetoric.
The General Code of Regional and Local Authorities (Law No. 2019/024, enacted 24 December 2019) consolidated all decentralisation laws into one legal text, with provisions for free administration by elected bodies, administrative and financial autonomy, and oversight structures. The code also formally recognises the special status of the North-West and South-West regions, granting them additional powers, a unique executive structure, and mechanisms such as a Public Independent Conciliator to resolve administrative disputes .
While the law was implemented swiftly in one respect and a change of Government Delegates to elected Mayors following the February 2020 municipal elections, it has otherwise lacked tangible results, according to the Minister of Decentralisation and Local Development . Much remains theoretical, with local councils still struggling with limited funding and administrative capacity.
A flagship initiative, the Local Governance and Resilient Communities Project (PROLOG), approved in 2022 and launched in April 2024, allocates 189 billion CFA (about USD 300 million) to local governance and infrastructure. Yet by mid-2025, a mere 8% of the funds had been disbursed representing just 9 billion FCFA due to delayed contracts and municipal compliance issues .
In contrast, a separate World Bank grant of 189 billion FCFA announced in October 2024 was distributed to strengthen responses to natural disasters across 187 councils. Each municipality reportedly received 100 million FCFA annually, city councils CFA 280 million, and regional councils 1 billion FCFA, alongside a national government contribution of 28.3 billion FCFA over three years .
This discrepancy highlights an uneven reality which is one project stalls, while another moves forward but neither fully addresses the broader structural challenges of decentralisation.
Although fiscal decentralisation is widely acknowledged as a means to improve service delivery and democratic accountability, the process has been tepid. The World Bank points out that decentralisation requires modernising budget systems, improving revenue collection, and creating transparent funding flows to local authorities .
A 2012 World Bank study titled The Path to Fiscal Decentralization further argued that decentralised functions are blurred, revenue sources weak, and public finance systems underdeveloped, limiting local accountability .
Afrobarometer research shows that proximity to infrastructure such as paved roads, electricity, schools, health centres, and water supplies correlates directly with public trust in local government. When communities see real benefits, they are more likely to place their confidence in local officials; the reverse is also true .
Cameroonians need clear answers not slogans. Candidates must therefore address,
- How will the 2019 decentralisation code move from page to practice?
- What concrete steps will accelerate disbursement of PROLOG and similar budgets to councils?
- How will local authorities be empowered financially through own-source revenues and transparent transfers?
- What mechanisms will ensure local officials are held accountable, and communities are involved in decisions?
- How will the North-West and South-West be empowered in light of their unique status and ongoing conflicts?
Decentralisation can transform Cameroon if it is allowed to. It holds the potential to make governance more responsive, reduce central overload, and squarely place development in citizens’ hands. But without operational rollout, inclusive finance, and measurable service delivery, the well-intentioned laws risk becoming yet another broken promise.
As voters weigh presidential aspirants in 2025, they should certainly be asking whose reforms will take decentralisation beyond aspirations from national headlines to daily reality?
By Bakah Derick for Hilltopvoices Newsroom
Email: hilltopvoicesnewspaper@gmail.com
Tel: 6 94 71 85 77
Bakah Derick is an award-winning Cameroonian journalist and mediapreneur, serving as Vice President in charge of International Relations at the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union and leading Hilltopvoices Communications Group Ltd to amplify community voices and governance issues. With nearly 20 years in the field, his impactful reporting spanning human rights, environmental protection, inclusive development, and sports has earned him prestigious honors such as the 2024 VIIMMA Humanitarian Reporter of the Year and more. Email: debakah2004@gmail.com Tel: +237 675 460 750