There is a considerable amount of literature on democratic decentralization, participation, and service delivery. Although decentralization has potential to increase accountability and to improve service delivery at the local level, the evidence suggests that (1) quality and equity of access to services have not improved with decentralization, and (2) outcome of decentralization is closely related to the availability of financial resources and local government capacity (Robinson 2007). Crook (2003) finds that in mostsub-Saharan African countries, elite capture of local governments has been facilitated by the desire of ruling elites to create and sustain a power base in the countryside. He concludes that even when the interests of the poor have achieved some representation through democratic decentralization, accountability mechanisms have not been strong enough to ensure that these interests are represented effectively in policymaking. However, using examples from Uganda and South Africa, Dauda (2006) shows that developing political capacity for demanding accountability for existing resources is imperative. The evidence demonstrates that participation in civil society institutions and diversity within government structures are vital in developing ways of demanding accountability and transparency of localgovernment.