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The politics of core public sector reform in Uganda: Behind the facade

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  • Badru Bukenya
  • William Muhumuza

Abstract

The Ugandan state presents an interesting puzzle for the advocates of public sector reforms (PSR). Whereas it has been subjected to several waves of reforms over the last three decades, these changed form but have generally not translated into significant changes in the functionality of central government. This research argues that answers to this conundrum are rooted in the country’s political settlement. Drawing on ESID’s expanded political settlement framework, the study finds that the last 15 years have seen Uganda’s ruling elite exposed to unprecedented internal and external competition leading to a shift in the balance of power from dominant to vulnerable dominant political settlement. Although the president still wields significant power, this has been used to influence government agencies to meet the short-term needs for regime maintenance, as opposed to supporting the goals of PSR implementation. Almost all PSRs are donor driven and the government accepts them not so much as a development necessity, but mainly because they are accompanied by unearned resources that are easily diverted into oiling patronage networks that maintain the elite in government.

Suggested Citation

  • Badru Bukenya & William Muhumuza, 2017. "The politics of core public sector reform in Uganda: Behind the facade," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-085-17, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    • Handle: RePEc:bwp:bwppap:esid-085-17
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. International Monetary Fund, 2014. "Uganda: Second Review Under the Policy Support Instrument and Request for Modification of Assessment Criteria," IMF Staff Country Reports 2014/195, International Monetary Fund.
    2. Andrews,Matt, 2013. "The Limits of Institutional Reform in Development," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107016330.
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    4. International Monetary Fund, 2014. "Senegal: Seventh Review under the Policy Support Instrument and Request for Modification of Assessment Criteria," IMF Staff Country Reports 2014/177, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Benon C. Basheka & Cornelia K. Sabiiti, 2011. "Compliance to public procurement reforms in developing countries: the contextual perspective from Uganda," International Journal of Procurement Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 4(5), pages 535-548.
    6. Frederick Golooba-Mutebi & Sam Hickey, 2013. "Investigating the links between political settlements and inclusive development in Uganda: towards a research agenda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-020-13, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    7. International Monetary Fund, 2014. "Republic of Mozambique: First Review Under the Policy Support Instrument and Request for Modification of Assessment Criteria—Staff Report; Press Release," IMF Staff Country Reports 2014/020, International Monetary Fund.
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    Cited by:

    1. Pablo Yanguas, 2017. "Varieties of state-building in Africa: Elites, ideas and the politics of public sector reform," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-089-17, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    2. Hutchinson, Eleanor & Mundua, Sunday & Ochero, Lydia & Mbonye, Anthony & Clarke, Sian E., 2022. "Life in the buffer zone: Social relations and surplus health workers in Uganda's medicines retail sector," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 300(C).
    3. Badru Bukenya & Sam Hickey, 2019. "The shifting fortunes of the economic technocracy in Uganda: Caught between state-building and regime survival?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-121-19, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    4. Brett, E.A., 2022. "Rebuilding public authority in Uganda dualist theory, hybrid social orders and democratic statehood," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    5. Joseph Mawejje & Nicholas M. Odhiambo, 2021. "Uganda's fiscal policy reforms: What have we learned?," Public Budgeting & Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 89-107, June.
    6. Caryn Peiffer & Rosita Armytage & Heather Marquette & Pius Gumisiriza, 2021. "Lessons from reducing bribery in Uganda’s health services," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 39(5), pages 721-739, September.

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