CHAPTER 5: Post-Independence Socio-economic Challenges in East Africa

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

(a) know the various European states that passed on independence to African leaders.

(b) understand the social and economic challenges faced by East African states after independence.

Keywords

• cold war
• ethnicity
• integration
• post-independence
• poverty

Introduction

After studying this chapter, you will understand the challenges faced by East African states after independence. By 1965, European political control had given way to East African self-rule. However, after gaining their independence, East African states faced a number of challenges. In this chapter, you will examine these challenges.

The Independence of African States

By 1960, many African nations had gained independence partly as a result of a long process following World War II. In East Africa the British yielded to the pressure and by 1965 all East African states had gained independence. Tanzania gained independence first, followed by Uganda and later on Kenya.

Gaining independence was a long process and in most cases was achieved under very difficult cicurmstances. The colonialists did not do much to address a number of socio-economic challenges affecting Africans. After gaining independence, the East African leaders were duty bound to address these challenges.

The East African states did not have the required resources to address most of these challenges. This was due to the colonial design of the economies of the colonies. It became apparent that the former colonies would remain dependent on the coloniser for their survival. Because of the need to fund economic and manpower development, East African states were lured into borrowing. The British colonial economic and social policy was never intended to develop East Africans. It was intended for the economic exploitation of East African resources.

The British developed road transport and communication, education, health, agriculture and industry to a bare minimum to enable effective exploitation. They concentrated development activities in a few urban areas. They neglected rural areas and left them in abject poverty.

Map 3.1: Map of Africa showing colonial powers and independent states of Africa

The colonial social policy was against African culture and aimed at destroying it. East African indigenous education was not developed. It was instead replaced with Western education in their missionary-dominated schools. Whereas indigenous education taught survival skills, Western education made Africans obedient servants of the colonial state. The social-economic policies left behind structures that continued to pose a challenge to and influence the post-colonial governments.

Activity 5.1 Finding out about the process of passing independence to East Africa

1. Using ICT or the library, research and identify the major events in the passing on of independence to local leaders in East Africa.

2. In groups, discuss and explain what the mood was among the whites, on one hand, and the blacks, on the other, during the process. Present your ideas to the class.

The Socio-economic Challenges

In the years that followed independence, African leaders worked to shape the socio-economic structure of their states. Some leaders worked against continued European domination. Others felt that working with Europeans would protect their interests and maintain control over economic and political resources. The economies left behind by colonialists were not self-sustaining because of over-dependence on exporting raw materials rather than manufactured products.

The colonial economy discouraged the setting up of manufacturing industries in East Africa. The development of industry was limited and guided by the need to exploit the resources of the colonies. This made it difficult for the colonies to generate revenue to sustain their economies.

The meagre resources from the export of raw materials could not provide the much-needed infrastructure for development in the colonies. The East African states continued to be producers of raw materials and consumers of the products of European industries. They kept depending entirely on the former colonial masters to finance development.

One of the most pressing challenges was lack of infrastructure for development. The post-independence governments badly needed to put in place a road network that would connect all areas within their countries and open up new areas of development. This could not be achieved by relying on cash crops and raw materials whose prices were generally low.

To mitigate these challenges, the states were persuaded to borrow beyond the limits of their export earnings. This drew these states into a debt burden that has persisted over the years.

Figure 5.1: (a) A modern train in Kenya and (b) the Entebbe Expressway: A modern road in Uganda

The development of manufacturing industries was neglected by the colonialists. Instead, they developed processing and light industries to add value to their raw materials. Rich as East African countries were in cash crops and minerals, they could not process these into finished goods themselves. Their economies were dependent on the importation of manufactured goods, and this made them vulnerable.

East African states were also locked into dependence on their former colonial masters. They had gained political but not economic independence. Political independence without economic independence was meaningless. This is because it left the states to depend on their former colonial masters to finance infrastructural development.

Figure 5.2: (a) A manufacturing industry and (b) Manufactured goods: East African countries have had to invest in manufacturing industries to reduce the burden of importation

When the Europeans left, the Africans got political freedom, but the tricks of imperial practice did not end. Colonialism appeared in a new form known as neo-colonialism. This was a shadow of colonial practice which turned East Africa into a haven of acute poverty, hunger, famine and corruption.

The colonialists gave liberty to the colony with one hand and took it away with the other hand. The colonial powers did not give the states economic independence. East African states have remained consumers of European highly priced goods until now. They have remained producers of raw materials whose prices are determined by Europeans. The independent states have remained victims of colonial exploitation.

East African states have had the challenge of acquiring the required capital, technology, and expertise to run new independent economies. Instead, they have had to rely on agents of former imperialist countries like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to access funding for development on unfair terms and conditions. This has continued to undermine the capacity of East African states to develop.

Activity 5.2 Finding out post-independence social and economic challenges in East Africa

1. Using ICT or the library, research and identify the areas where Uganda has addressed the challenges of colonial socio-economic policies.

2. Explain how borrowing has affected the economic development of East African countries after independence.

3. In groups, discuss how East African countries can overcome the accumulated debt burden and present the ideas to the class.