Andrew Mwenda

By Andrew M. Mwenda Given Museveni’s long rule and potential for family succession, is Uganda now vulnerable to an `Arab Spring’ I argued in this column last week that Africa has almost similar structural conditions as the Middle East on the eve of the Arab Spring – sustained economic growth …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How realistic is the risk of political upheaval in Africa and what can be done about it? Two weeks ago, I was in Nairobi, Kenya to attend a conference on Africa’s political risk profile. The moderator of the first session posed four questions for discussion: Is …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How one of Africa’s distinguished scholars has been misled to become hostile to a government that should be his natural ally Prof. George Ayittey is one of the most thoughtful and influential intellectuals on contemporary Africa. He has been consistent in his condemnation of Rwanda’s President …

By Andrew M. Mwenda A combination of sound technocratic management with a good dose of political skill will do the job I argued in this column last week that any attempt by Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) to carry out transformative reforms in our city will create high political tensions.  …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The innovations KCCA needs to finance the redevelopment of the city from its own resources On April 19, Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) held a public dialogue on their plans to improve our city. I was honoured to be the main speaker even though my knowledge …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The politics of US$ 150m spent by government on evacuating top officials for medical treatment abroad On Monday, April 23, Daily Monitor reported that the government of Uganda spends US$150 million per year (Approx. Shs 375 billion) on medical treatment of its top officials abroad. When …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why South Korea succeeded where Uganda failed A common argument to explain (the better term would be to “caricature”) post independence failures in Africa is always in comparison to East Asia. It is often argued, for example, that by 1960, Ghana and South Korea had the …

By Andrew M. Mwenda What the leaders of South Sudan need to avoid as they begin the task of building a state and moulding a nation Last week I was in Juba, South Sudan on the invitation by friends from the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). It is an invitation …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How Khartoum is using South Sudan to hide a rebellion by its own people The low intensity conflict between the new state of South Sudan and the Republic of Sudan has escalated into a near full-scale war. On Monday April 9, the Sudanese Peoples’ Liberation Army …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How government politically miscalculated the threat in spite of activists having lost strategic positioning in their struggle for change As fate would have it, last week the Uganda government banned the civil society advocacy group, Activists for Change (or A4C as it is popularly known). Ironically, …