Influence of National Interest on the Implementation of East Africa Transport Corridors: a Case Study of the Northern Corridor
Abstract
This study aims at finding out how national interest influences implementation of East African
Corridor projects taking the Northern Corridor as a case study. It begins from the premise that in
situations where state agents pursue a zero sum game in a structured setting with bargaining
participants, they will chose the most beneficial option with the least possible harm and will
create coalitions that are large enough to ensure they win. It is argued that national interests have
undermined implementation of EAC projects where changing political and economic interest
have led to alignment and re-alignment of coalitions committed to the Northern Corridor
affecting viability and success of the projects. This study concludes that the current framework
of project implementation within EAC that leaves each country with the responsibility of
building their sections of interstate infrastructure is not working and is instead fuelling political
and economic competition. The policy implications of the findings is that the region will have to
set up institution to fund, own, and manage regional infrastructure rather than abandon the
responsibility to each member state. The region will also have to think about not just
infrastructure that excites politicians but whether the projects funded are appropriate and whether
the projects will have commensurate economic benefit for the private sector in order to increase
in the productive capacity of the regional economy.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Subject
East Africa Transport CorridorsRights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United StatesUsage Rights
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/Collections
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