Parliaments, and liberal Constitutions, democracy in East Africa is no shining star of people's power as nowadays it worsen where great leaders with heart to liberal mind are convicted .
Mostly in the jails but foreign rules that undermine our culture and way of believe that we are able to govern ourselves.
The idea of governments for and by the people, which fanned the noble fight for a sovereign and decolonised Africa, has been vandalised.
Authoritarianism, lack of political accountability, and dramatic slides in media and civilian rights threaten the freedom, fortune, and fates of East Africans.
The current pattern of political governance in East Africa is fashioned not on the best principles of liberatory and decolonisation politics.
But on the meaningless shift of power between political elites.
The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute's 2025 report forewarns that over 70% of East Africa's youth could be living under autocratic governments by 2030.
Western metrics like V-Dem may not always capture local governance nuances.
Not to ignored is the extent to which repression has become the insignia of much of post-independent Africa.
Democratic decay is costly. World Bank statistics point to the fact that between 2020 and 2024, foreign direct investment in Uganda fell by 15%.
As a direct consequence of its oppressive state machinery, policies, and practices.
Further to this, the need for governments to redirect state resources towards stilling civil unrest weakens.
The public purse, resulting in public service and infrastructure deficits, and worsening poverty and inequality.
This breeds dissatisfaction, displacement, and refugee flows, which place regional stability in peril.
As a direct result of Ethiopia's prolonged conflicts, more than one million refugees have sought refuge in Kenya and Sudan since 2020.
This has placed undue strain on the economies of these two countries.
There are some real dangers ahead. The possibility of a difficult election in Kenya in 2027,
An increasingly uneasy political mood in Tanzania and conflict in Ethiopia's Amhara region could shatter the region's delicate accord.
This will be eagerly watched by militia groups, who will be quick to pounce and exacerbate conflict and instability.
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