Political economy of neopatrimonialism in East Africa: Insights from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

Odhiambo Alphonce  Kasera; Thomas Otieno  Juma

doi:10.51867/AQSSR.2.2.28

Authors

Odhiambo Alphonce Kasera Maseno University, Kenya Author
Thomas Otieno Juma University of Kabianga, Kenya Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9935-0825

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/AQSSR.2.2.28

Keywords:

East Africa, Neopatrimonialism, Political Economy, Political Elites, Power Relations

Abstract

Post-colonial political systems in Africa have been extensively analyzed through the lens of neopatrimonialism. However, this concept is often interpreted from a rational-legal perspective, which leads to the conclusion that it deviates from Weberian notions of statehood. Such a viewpoint has constrained comprehensive analysis of the structural manifestations, temporal adaptations, and implications of neopatrimonialism for democratic consolidation in Africa. This study employs the dual frameworks of political economy and neopatrimonialism as theoretical foundations, utilizing qualitative interpretive methodology to evaluate whether evidence from the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project and other databases supports the rational-legal perspective on neopatrimonialism. Focusing on the original members of the East African Community—Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania—as case studies, the research demonstrates that elite control and personalized rule not only undermine democratic statehood and economic transformation, but also reveal that neopatrimonialism emerges not solely as a consequence of modernization failures, but as a coping mechanism rooted in historical legacies and socio-cultural contexts. Informal networks are found to be central to African politics and economics, challenging the prevailing narrative of inherently corrupt African governments. This paper thus advocates for a reconceptualization of neopatrimonialism as both an analytical tool and a heuristic essential for understanding the dichotomies between formal and informal practices in the politics of East African states. Consequently, it recommends that addressing neopatrimonial governance in East Africa necessitates reforms that transcend institutional formalism, aiming to disrupt entrenched informal power networks through context-sensitive, politically grounded, and empirically informed interventions.

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