Andrew Mwenda

THE LAST WORD: By Andrew Mwenda While NRM is a corrupt government, FDC has evolved into an extremist antidemocratic party Most commentary on politics in Africa tends to revolve around the analysis of the actions and motivations of incumbents in power. A narrative has consolidated: those in power in Africa …

OPINION: By Andrew Mwenda Why criticising MPs for demanding more benefits is misguided and what can be done about it Our MPs want Shs200 million each to buy cars. They want their wages and allowances increased. They also want Shs68 million spent on their funeral when they die. The public is …

THE LAST WORD: By Andrew Mwenda Why East African governments need to involve local firms in big infrastructure projects The East African nations of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda are involved in massive investments in infrastructure. They are contracting companies to build roads, railways, bridges, airports, seaports, dams, electricity lines, …

  THE LAST WORD: Andrew Mwenda The postcolonial state needs to transform not replicate existing social arrangements Lately, I have been thinking about the postcolonial state inAfrica, and this column reflects these growing thoughts. Why do our states and their political leaders fail to do the things we expect of …

Slavery in America may have ended but the US state has reproduced it through mass incarceration of blacks and police violence in poor black communities due to its hidden economic gains  THE LAST WORD: By Andrew M. Mwenda Recent events in the United States; where police shot and killed two …

What the uproar about her visit to a shrine tells us about the crisis of post-colonial Africa THE LAST WORD by Andrew Mwenda Rebecca Kadaga caused uproar when she visited a traditional shrine to thank the spirits of her ancestors for her election as Speaker of Parliament. Every pundit of …

In leaving power the president would cause Ugandans to re-evaluate his legacy with better perspective There is one thing I wish to request: That President Museveni and NRM should not amend the constitution to remove the age limit on the presidency so that he can run in 2021. There is …

 Stop faking holiness. You supported and defended a government that banned all activities of political parties THE LAST WORD: Last week, Oxfam Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima, accused me of losing my soul by “supporting dictatorship” and “defending gross human rights abuses”. I asked her to name a single incident where …

Why the competition for power is always a quarrel over delusions rather than a contest over public policy I argued in this column last week that governments in poor countries cannot govern by delivering a large basket of public goods and services associated with a modern state because they don’t …

Why leaders of poor countries are not as cruel and selfish as Western media portray them In a moment of madness, I toyed with the idea of running for president of Uganda. I had the hubris to imagine I am the guy who can solve its myriad problems because President …