Government and rural development in East Africa : essays on political penetration

The essays in this volume are addressed to key issues of development strategy and the politics of rural development in East Africa. Based on extensive fieldwork at the grassroots level in Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda, each article examines selected problems concerning the role of govern ment in the context of rural development strategies. Against a broad background of processes of political penetration in the East African setting, the contributors discuss salient aspects of the colonial legacy and the dynamics of political control; institutions and strategies for rural development; district politics and rural transformation; and the dynamics of rural societies.

The collection derives its value from the wealth of original material on which it is based, from the variety of methodological tools employed, and from the range of theoretical positions represented.

The contributors are internationally-known sociologists, anthropologists, economists and political scientists who have brought their analytical skills to bear on the problem area of government and rural development. The result is an interdisciplinary dialogue, of interest to all who are concerned with problems of development and change.