FY2023 1st JSAS Research Seminar

On April 15, 2023, the SDGs collaborative research unit of the Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI) at the University of Tokyo held a research seminar in collaboration with the Japan Society for Afrasian Studies (JSAS).

To begin with, the moderator, Prof. Vick Ssali, (outgoing JSAS President/lecture at Aichi Gakuin University), explained the purpose of the seminar. He explained that as the search for true independence in Africa in the post-colonial world is an on-going struggle, the aim of this seminar was to examine the theme of governance in Africa, and to establish the historical and social platform for discussing and co-creating a better future for this continent. The seminar focused on Uganda, and Dr. Wakiko Ohira (Visiting Fellow at Harvard University) and Dr. Ian Karusigarira (lecturer at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies) gave presentations based on their respective doctoral theses.

In the presentation by Dr. Ohira, the focus was on increasing influence of “traditional authorities”—such as kingdoms and chiefdoms—after their resurgence in the 1990s. Traditional authorities had weakened during the period of independence but have regained influence since the 1990s. Specifically, the report examined the case of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom (BKK) in western Uganda to unravel the mechanism behind this phenomenon. The results of semi-structured interview survey and document analysis are as follows. Under Museveni regime, local governments become highly politicized and did not function well in providing public services. This led to dissatisfaction among people who had high expectations of the local governments. As a counterreaction, people’s expectations of the BKK increased. In response to people’s higher expectations, the BKK impartially advocates issues of education, health, and other social issues and provides access to the government. The conclusion of this study that strong administrative presence of the state resulted in empowering “traditional authorities” challenges conventional understanding of weak-state theory.

In Dr. Karusigarira’s presentation, he interpreted the construction, maintenance, and strengthening of the Revolutionary Regime (Musevenism) in Uganda from the perspective of (re)production of culture. Specifically, through field surveys in the Luweero Triangle Death Zone, Dr. Karusigarira revealed the political nature of the state’s power to manipulate individual, familial, and collective memories related to war, nation, and ethnicity. As a result of the intertwining of representations related to the past, nationalism, state repression, corruption, protests, a cultural system that successfully supports the regime’s dominance has been created. The representation of the Ugandan state is influenced by selective forgetting along with records, as well as echoes of colonialism. On the other hand, the people have also participated in the reproduction of the regime, such as the culture that seeks a strong leadership figure and the regeneration of the regime through protest activities. In this way, while power has already penetrated every corner of local society, not only political reform but also cultural deconstruction is required.

Both presentations vividly depicted how the continuity and discontinuity of Uganda’s history and current situation have been constructed through institutional and cultural restructuring in response to social change from their respective angles. During the Q&A session, discussions were held on the details of Uganda’s government operations and the validity of the concepts used by the presenters, as well as the attitude towards historical destiny and the uncertain future faced by Africa. Criticizing or praising the temporary closeness or openness of local societies in Africa is not the solution. It can be said that it is the responsibility of everyone that cares about the future of Africa to engage politely with its experiences.