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Militarism and the Politics of Covid-19 Response in Uganda
Abstract Within the broader context of securitized responses to Covid-19 globally, Uganda experienced an oversized military role, ranging from law-and-order and lockdown enforcement, to managing…
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When autocracy comes of age
The system of rule we have in Uganda today is more appropriately called an autocracy. Obviously, the ruling classes and their supporters most strongly disagree…
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The slow poison of elections
We are into another five-year election cycle, a ritual that flatters to deceive. Presidential nominations took place earlier this week, signalling the onset of campaign…
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Here is why NRM is not a political party
In theory, the National Resistance Movement (NRM) is Uganda ruling party. In practice, it is anything but a party. Strictly, it does not meet the…
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The mirage of NRM democracy
It is now very predictable that primary elections for Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) end in chaos and confusion, fights and fallouts. Worse, the…
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Of what value are elections to Ugandans?
This is a rhetorical question, but worth asking and deeply reflecting on. It is election campaign season in Uganda. The market is open for jostling…
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Three decades after apartheid, South Africa’s democratic struggles mirror global disillusionment
Earlier this week, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa held a two-day symposium on political funding. The symposium took place in Durban, in…
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How Museveni’s coalition grasps change, continuity
President Museveni was sworn-in for a sixth (elected) term in May 2021, putting him on course to rule Uganda for 40 uninterrupted years by 2026.…
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Gendered Governance: How Women in Insurgent Government Shape Rebel Rule
ABSTRACT Women are central to the governance of many armed groups, yet there is limited scholarship probing how women insurgent governors shape rebel rule. I…