EAST AFRICA: AN INTRODUCTORY HISTORY

Chapter 11 INDEPENDENT EAST AFRICA, 1960s TO 1990s

Chapter 11 Between December 1961 and December 1963, Tanganyika, Uganda, Kenya, and Zanzibar achieved political independence from Great Britain. Inheriting a roughly similar colonial legacy, the newly independent states faced many similar problems in their first years as free nations. One of the most fundamental was, and continues to be, the issue of speeding and broadening economic development. All enjoyed success in expanding production and social services, but huge difficulties remain in the nations’ attempts to eradicate poverty, ignorance, and disease. Politically, the trend of events was toward a one-party state. In two of the countries, however, governments were forcibly overthrown. The post-independence era also witnessed the forging of closer ties between the East African states through the formation of the East African Community, but its life proved to be relatively short. independence and dependency Although the East African nations theoretically gained control of their own destiny at independence, self-government and majority rule did not end rather heavy dependence on Britain. In some ways this dependence was increased, and it is difficult not to believe that the colonial power expected Independent East Africa, 1960s to 1990s 266 | CHAPTER ELEVEN this dependency to keep her former colonies closely aligned to her, both politically and economically. It was expected, first of all, that the political and administrative structure bequeathed by the British would serve the new nations for a considerable time. The countries would be governed by a non-partisan civil service using the administrative structures created to facilitate colonial rule, while national politics would be dominated by a parliamentary system based on the Westminster model. However, the East African nations, especially Zanzibar, quickly made significant constitutional and administrative changes away from the systems inherited from Britain. Given the lack of trained local manpower to staff high-level technical and administrative positions, a crucial kind of dependency involved skilled manpower. It was recognized that the governments would have to employ European civil servants and experts for a long time to come. Reliance on foreign-born or non-African, local-born advisors was a potential hindrance to independence. The potential for rapidly training Africans to take over civil service positions depended on the educational system left by Britain. This system emphasized academic rather than technical education, and the schools were not well equipped to produce large numbers of trained men and women, Moreover, most teachers at the higher levels were Europeans. The East African nations sought to overcome this type of dependency through crash training programs and an expansion of educational facilities . Secondary and university education was significantly expanded, even though the institutions providing such training have not come near to catering for the majority of the populations. Large numbers of students were sent abroad, notably to the United States, for education and training that would equip them to run the governments of their countries. Africanization programs were instituted in all countries to put Africans into jobs held by non-Africans, but the pace of this process was never fast enough to please all citizens. After more than thirty years of independence, the East African countries have largely Africanized government services, but in certain skilled professions, such as medicine, Africans have yet to take over completely. The greatest dependency was in the economic field. All the East African countries were closely tied to Britain as members of the sterling area, their INDEPENDENT EAST AFRICA, 1960S TO 1990S | 267 prime overseas market and the source of almost all development funds. Britain, for its part, hoped to retain a large share of the East African market for her exports. The states had inherited a basically capitalist economic structure in which non-Africans played a major role. Agricultural development along lines begun in the final years of colonial rule seemed the only route for the new nations to follow. In the rural areas this generally meant a continued attempt to help the so-called progressive farmer and to facilitate the emergence of a class of well-to-do peasant farmers who would produce crops for exports and subsistence. Any attempt to completely break this dependence , it was argued by colonial officials, would likely prove harmful. Nevertheless, the three countries did attempt to alter and break the pattern of economic dependence on Britain. Markets and export crops were diversified. Industry was encouraged, particularly for import substitution, on a much greater scale than during colonial times. Development aid was obtained from the United...