AbstractsPolitical Science

The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of civil society organisations in relation to the changing political economy of Ugandan politics. We approach this task asking the following question: How have ideas about and processes of civil society been affected by the recent di- scovery of oil in Uganda? We argue that the part of civil society working on issues of oil have ex- perienced a shrinking political space and an increasingly antagonistic relationship with the cen- tral government. We substantiate this argument through three steps: First we examine the hi- storical development of civil society in Uganda, arguing that ideas about and processes of civil society have changed many times throughout the country’s history. These developments are strongly linked to the political settlement and especially the relations between the ruling coali- tion and the ruling elite. Secondly, we examine the recent legislation on oil and how civil society has engaged itself in these policy processes. Lastly, this is followed by an examination of how these processes have manifested themselves in different ideas about civil society’s mandate and role in Uganda. The paper builds on a series of interviews with key civil society actors in Uganda working with issues of oil governance. Following the distinction made by Whitfield on civil society as idea and civil society as process, we seek to underscore the contingent relationship between processes and ideas as fields of struggle. In our analysis we show how the processes between central government, MP’s and civil society have contributed to the construction of different antagonistic narratives and ideas about the mandate and role of civil society that are largely in opposition to each other. This has been af- fected by the increased fragmentation of the ruling coalition that repeatedly challenges Museve- ni and the ruling elite. Museveni tackles this by centralising power in the executive and by suc- cessfully branding civil society as saboteurs working on behalf of foreign interests. This agenda has also succeeded in de-legitimising former formal political spaces for civil society interaction with the political system. Civil society has consequently been forced to change strategies and seek new alliances with critical MP’s to gain influence.