Third Time’s a Charm? Reflections on the First and Second APRM Reports of Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda

The report examines the governance trajectories of Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda, the only three African countries to have completed the APRM review process twice. It finds that while all three made legislative and constitutional strides in democracy and political governance, they remain vulnerable to ethnic conflict and struggle with persistent issues of corruption, poverty, and gender inequality.

• Kenya achieved significant democratic progress through its 2010 constitution, which established a devolved system of 47 county governments and strengthened the separation of powers, reducing the executive's dominance over the legislature and judiciary.
• Despite legal frameworks, corruption remains a systemic obstacle in Kenya; the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) lacks independent prosecutorial power and suffers from low public trust, with only 6% of incidents reported to it.
• Kenya has seen increased female political representation, rising from 4.1% in 2000 to 23% of National Assembly seats by 2017, though it still falls short of the constitutional one-third requirement.
• Mozambique is cited as a successful example of post-conflict reconstruction following the 1992 General Peace Agreement (GPA), though recent years have seen a regression into political-military conflict between Frelimo and Renamo factions.
• Mozambique's electoral system is characterized by a decline in voter turnout—dropping from 88% in 1994 to 40% in 2013/2014—and concerns over the 'growing hegemony' of the ruling Frelimo party.
• Mozambique faces severe climate change vulnerabilities, with 60% of its population living in low-lying coastal areas susceptible to rising sea levels, tropical cyclones, and flooding.
• The conflict in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province is linked to socio-economic asymmetries, high youth unemployment, and the discovery of natural gas, leading to thousands of displaced persons and the suspension of Total's liquified gas project.
• Uganda has transitioned to a multiparty democracy since 2005, but the report warns of 'democratic backsliding' due to the removal of presidential term and age limits.
• Uganda's political playing field is described as uneven, with 80% of government funds channelled to the ruling party and significant media bias.
• Gender inequality in Uganda is perpetuated by discriminatory laws, such as the Land Act of 1998 which denies women ownership rights, and the 2021 criminalization of LGBTQI relationships.
• Uganda has achieved significant reductions in poverty, falling from 56% in 1992 to 19.7% in 2012/13, although more recent surveys show an increase to 27%.

APA

BOSMAN, I., & CLIFFORD, C. (2021). Third Time’s a Charm? Reflections on the First and Second APRM Reports of Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Special-Report-bosman-clifford.pdf

Chicago

BOSMAN, ISABEL, and CAYLEY CLIFFORD. Third Time’s a Charm? Reflections on the First and Second APRM Reports of Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2021. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Special-Report-bosman-clifford.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BOSMAN |first1=ISABEL |last2=CLIFFORD |first2=CAYLEY |title=Third Time’s a Charm? Reflections on the First and Second APRM Reports of Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2021 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Special-Report-bosman-clifford.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bosman2021third, author = {BOSMAN, ISABEL and CLIFFORD, CAYLEY}, title = {{Third Time’s a Charm? Reflections on the First and Second APRM Reports of Kenya, Mozambique and Uganda}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2021}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Special-Report-bosman-clifford.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }