In recent years, the view that peacebuilding is essentially local has gained traction. Debates in the field of development research point to the potential of participation and influence for promoting effective, appropriate and legitimate developments, but post-conflict contexts offer additional challenges. Here, societal divisions infiltrate the local level and its policy-making, and participation does not necessarily offer answers to issues of voice and inclusion. This article compares participation and influence in Kenya and Lebanon, two deeply divided post-conflict countries. The study has three main findings: there are possibilities for local communities to participate in local decision-making; inclusion and ability to influence local decision-making depends on personal status; and local decision-making bodies are influenced by national dividing lines, and local participation and influence risk replicating conflictual divisions. Therefore, while participation and influence in local decision-making in post-conflict contexts is possible for some, it risks promoting further exclusion of those already marginalised, thus hindering efforts to consolidate peace and development. © The Author(s) 2022.