Growing but not transforming: Fragmented ruling coalitions and economic developments in Uganda
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Date
2012
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
DIIS
Abstract
When the National Resistance Movement
(NRM) and its leader, Yoweri Museveni, came
to power, they had an explicit agenda of industrializing
the economy (Kjær and Muhumuza, 2009). Improved infrastructure and increased
production and productivity were the
focus. Indeed, Uganda enjoyed a period of sustained economic growth of about 7 percent
annually between 1990 and 2006 (Piron
and Norton, 2004; Kjær and Muhumuza,
2009), made possible by a stable ruling coalition,
macro-economic stability, low inflation
(until recently), and relative peace. Poverty
declined from 56 percent in 1991 to 25 percent
in 20101 However, there has been limited
structural transformation in terms of a shift
from agriculture to industry. A number of explanations for this could be put forward,
whether institutional, policy-oriented or geographical (Selassie, 2008; van de Walle, 2001).
None of them, however, explains fully how
Uganda, in spite of an initially highly dedicated
ruling elite, did not succeed in transforming its economy. For example, Uganda
is a landlocked country, but so is Zimbabwe,
which is far more industrialized. Similarly,
while Uganda certainly has weak institutions,
so did other countries that have succeeded in
industrializing (Selassie, 2008).
Description
Keywords
Growing, Transforming, Coalitions, Economic developments
Citation
Kjær, A. M., & Katusiimeh, M. (2012). Growing but not transforming: Fragmented ruling coalitions and economic developments in Uganda (No. 2012: 07). DIIS working paper.