State Politics and Public Policy in Eastern Africa

This book analyses major themes in twenty-first-century east African politics. Predominantly authored by researchers and academics from the region, it examines recent political developments, public policy and governance across east and southern African countries. The book advocates for a regionally-focused comparative approach across Africa, arguing that it provides a greater level of analysis than a complete continental study. Adopting a multidisciplinary approach, it covers numerous topics relating to politics, public policy, state and nation-building in Africa. Filling an important void in current literature, the book will appeal to academics, practitioners, politicians and students of politics, public policy and governance.

Chapter 16 and 20 are available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

"A welcome focus on public policy and policy challenges from an extraordinarily diverse set of authors.  Essays also cover topics of democratization, public sector reform, conflict, colonial legacies, and the impact of global and international forces on politics and policy in African countries.  The editor stresses the themes of growing policy ownership in African states since 2000 and cross-national differences that reflect variations in degrees of state consolidation and political institutionalization.  It is rare to find such substantive breadth in a single volume."
—Catherine Boone, Professor of Comparative Politics, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK

 "This book builds on the rich and rigorous academic tradition established by, among others, Joel Barkan, John Okumu, and Goran Hyden to lend insights into regional political and socioeconomic trends. The book brings young and emerging scholars to examine diverse governance, social protection, public sector reforms and regional integration themes. More pertinent, the book competently incorporates contemporary issues of growing concern such as climate change, terrorism, science, and technology. I highly recommend it to academics, students, and lay audiences."
—Gilbert M. Khadiagala, Jan Smuts Professor of International Relations, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa 

"This book brings to life African politics and public policy. It highlights key differences in political systems based on two key elements - State capacity and legitimacy. The first connotes state formation and building processes and subsequent policy responses. Legitimacy highlights accountability, transparency and policymaking. Its approaches comprise historical and institutional perspectives. Historically, it maps policy legacies in Africa, reflecting the context and how they have evolved over the recent decades. The institutional perspective focuses on African states and how it has evolved in addressing various policy issues like social cohesion and welfare. The textbook is ideal for undergraduate and postgraduate students and practitioners interested in African politics and policymaking dynamics."
—Ishtiaq Jamil, Professor, Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen, Norway

"With a point of departure in the region's increased political confidence, this volume offers a refreshing perspective on state-formation and policy-formulation in Eastern Africa. Without neglecting the many policy challenges, a common thread in the chapters is the political stability and economic growth, which the Eastern African countries have experienced in the new century. Contributions from a variety of very accomplished researchers, primarily based in the region, tackle a series of important policy issues using a much needed political lens. This is no small achievement, and I highly recommend thevolume to scholars and students of Eastern Africa."
—Anne Mette Kjær, Professor, Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Denmark 

"This book is perhaps the most comprehensive coverage of politics and public policy in a single African region. Scholars with diverse academic and national backgrounds have addressed the problem of a dearth of readings in contemporary African politics and public policy. Each contribution lays bare the centrifugal forces that have perennially undermined the institutionalisation of the African state’s politics and public policy. Gedion Onyango has aptly blends case studies into a comparative framework, finding an appropriate nexus between the unique and the common. This book is a must-read for those interested in the interaction between politics and policy in Africa." 
—Philip O. Nying’uro, Associate Professor of Comparative Politics and Area Studies, Department of Political Science & Public Administration, University of Nairobi, Kenya 

"This book is as insightful as it is needed. A genuinely comparative volume that adopts a public policy focus, the chapters included enabling readers to learn about everything from military rule to power sharing and climate change. An important contribution on Eastern Africa with implications well beyond the region."
—Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy and Director of the Centre for Elections, Democracy, Accountability and Representation (CEDAR) at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Gedion Onyango is Lecturer of Public Policy and Public Administration, University of Nairobi, Kenya