The State of East Africa Report 2016: Consolidating Misery? The Political Economy of Inequalities
Tackling inequalities has become one of the more pressing public policy concerns of today - at least that is the impression given by the rhetoric of key policy actors. Acknowledging the extent to which inequalities have rendered the playing field uneven is a start. However, it is unlikely that there will be any lasting changes until the structures that have allowed for and perpetuated these inequalities are dismantled and reorganized to ensure that the development and growth outcomes we seek are much more equitable.
This report aims to explore and offer for reflection, some of the challenges that the region will need to face up to, if it is to successfully transform its economies in order to drive up domestic demand, build and nurture local economic systems and improve the skills of its labour force in a virtuous process that recognizes our institutions and processes to ensure that the majority of citizens have an active stake in change processes of the day. The report offers some hypotheses as to why inequalities persists and why efforts to address them (narrow the gap) are unlikely to be successful in the absence of a committed attempt to dismantle and recreate the institutions that distribute power and the networks that have emerged to extract benefits from them. It thus makes the argument the inequalities survive thanks to the structure of the institutions we have put in place, and it is only by reforming these institutions that we can truly address the challenges that inequalities generate.
The State of East Africa Report Series
As part of the East Africa Scenarios Project, the State of East Africa Report Series carries on the objective of providing new information, new insights and unlocking our collective imagination to contribute to an East Africa Community that is truly people centred.
The East African Scenarios Research Compendium contains 10 research papers unravelling the trends, patterns and driving forces in four thematic areas that were identified as being critical to understanding the region's future.
The East African Scenarios Stories provide narrative explorations of potential futures for the region, using insights from comprehensive research to help stakeholders anticipate and navigate emerging opportunities and challenges.
This report aims to spark a national debate on inequality in Kenya, highlighting that economic growth alone is not enough to eradicate poverty without a focus on equity in public policy.
The State of East Africa Report 2006: Trends, Tensions and Contradictions - The Leadership Challenge
This first edition in the series The State of East Africa Report is a compilation and comparative analysis of facts and figures on Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda with the aim of informing the general public about the current status of the region and its potential future prospects.
This second edition in the series The State of East Africa Report explores the themes of identity, social influences, and informal structures, aiming to uncover the underlying dynamics shaping East African society and regional integration.
This State of East Africa Report 2008 presents a snapshot of the status of the region's water, food production, and energy resources.
The State of East Africa 2012 report builds on its 2006 predecessor by analyzing key social, economic, political, and environmental trends in the region, providing insightful data-driven comparisons across countries, and encouraging informed discussion on the region's future integration and development.
The State of East Africa 2013, as a follow-up to the State of East Africa 2012 and part of the State of East Africa report series, seeks to examine the trends that have taken place in the context of inequality and equity across time in the region.