Power and Order: Strongmen, Institutions, and Governance in Africa
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The persistence of strongman politics alongside institutional governance defines much of Africa’s contemporary political landscape. While countries like Senegal and Botswana have built resilient institutions, other countries like Mali and Niger grapple with the resurgence of personalized rule, often through military coups or democratic manipulation. The strongman phenomenon is far from unique to Africa—it reflects a global trend of leaders consolidating power by exploiting institutional weaknesses and public frustrations.
This roundtable, led by IGP Carnegie Distinguished Fellow Ambassador Martin Kimani, examines the interplay between formal institutions and informal networks, exploring why some states develop more resilient governance systems while others remain rooted in centralized, personalized power. Panelists will investigate the role of colonial legacies, economic structures, and international pressures in shaping these trajectories, in addition to the tools—patronage, security forces, and electoral control—that sustain different forms of rule. The discussion moves beyond reductive narratives to offer a nuanced understanding of how political power functions in Africa and the pathways to accountable and effective governance.
Speakers:
- Ambassador Martin Kimani, Former Permanent Representative of Kenya to the UN; President and CEO of The Africa Center
- Mamadou Diouf, Leitner Family Professor of African Studies