Conflict and Cooperation: Antecedents of Kenya - Uganda relations, 1964 - 1990

Abstract

This thesis exa.ines the nature of inter-state relations between Kenya and Uganda. The core premise of the investigation is that despite continuous confl i cts between the two count ries , cooper ation has continued to thrive. It is 1n this "inconsistency" that our poles of analysis; conflict and cooperat ion are derived.

Particular conflictive and cooperative events under the period of study are linked to trade trends to determine the correlation between conflict and/or cooperation and these events. Consequently, trade as an agent of inter-state interaction is used to demonstrate how Kenya and Uganda have continued to cooperate despite frequent conflicts.

Besides this, certain internal political developments in Uganda are examined with a view to unravelling their ratifications on Kenya-Uganda re I a t ion • This is the case because Uganda has experienced manifest political instability of a nature more telling than Kenya." The break.up of the East African Community (EAC) is equally examined with the purpose of determining how the disintegration of a supra-national organization can

contribute to a particular nature of relations between states. More specifically, it is argued that the collapse of the EAC has had certain impacts on the nature of the two states interactions.

In brief then, this thesis elucidates on the primacy of national interest In dictating inter-state relations. It argues that concurrence of national interest between Kenya and Uganda leads to cooperation while discordance of the same culminates In conflict. It is because of such concurrence and discordance that the nature of Kenya-Uganda relations is largely seen as both cooperative and conflictive.