The Gap between Rhetoric and Practice: Refugee-Led Organisations in Humanitarian

The localisation agenda in humanitarian policy has gained increasing rhetorical prominence, particularly since the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit and the subsequent Grand Bargain commitments. Central to this agenda is the recognition of local actors, including refugee-led organisations (RLOs), as key providers of social protection and humanitarian assistance. Despite this, the operationalisation of localisation remains uneven, and RLOs are frequently marginalised within formal humanitarian governance structures. This article examines the gap between rhetoric and practice by analysing the engagement of RLOs in Kampala, Uganda, a context hosting approximately 80,000 refugees. Drawing on 15 months of ethnographic research, including interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and collaborative workshops with over thirty RLOs, the study highlights how refugee communities organise to provide education, livelihood support, psychosocial services, and emergency assistance in the absence of adequate institutional recognition. Findings reveal that while some RLOs cultivate transnational networks and achieve influence, most are excluded from formal funding channels and decision-making processes, constrained by institutional preferences for established implementing partners. The COVID-19 pandemic accentuated the importance of these organisations, as they responded rapidly to emergent needs despite systemic marginalisation. The study demonstrates that localisation is a contested political process shaped by power asymmetries, institutional discretion, and selective inclusion. Policy implications include the need for clearer frameworks to integrate RLOs into formal humanitarian structures, enabling more equitable and effective delivery of refugee-led social protection. Academically, the article contributes to critical debates on the political economy of localisation and the agency of displaced populations.