Uganda has had one president, Yoweri Museveni, for 25 years.2 Regime longevity has
granted Museveni a politically rare chance to flirt with Marxism (1986-1989), embrace
orthodox neoliberalism (1989-1997), and eventually, rediscover developmentalism. The
rediscovery of developmentalism has involved the partial resurrection of certain old
institutions (such as Uganda Development Corporation), the reform of others (such as
National Water & Sewerage Corporation), and the birth of new developmentalist
institutions (such the Uganda Energy Fund).
New developmentalism apparently springs from growing dissatisfaction with the
orthodox institutions and policies, which took root in Uganda in the 1980s and 1990s
(Mensah, 2006). This dissatisfaction has triggered a rethink of the developmental role of
states and markets. Uganda’s new National Development Plan (2010/11 – 2014/15) is a
case in point. The NDP advocates a ‘quasi-market’ approach in which the state plays a
strategic role in uprooting the obstacles to national development – particularly poor
roads, dysfunctional railways, poor energy infrastructure, and limited application of
science and technology.