This book explains the prevalence of electoral authoritarianism (or multi-party autocracy) in the politics of sub-Saharan Africa and examines why repeated elections have not deepened democracy.

Using Uganda as a case study, the book examines the hegemonic regimes that underpin electoral authoritarian regimes in the context of a colonial legacy. Employing a historical institutionalist approach, the author considers independence struggles as formative moments and the nationalist period as a critical juncture in Uganda’s historical experience. The analysis posits that the structure and dynamic of political organization/participation adopted in the run up to independence and the responses by the colonial state laid the ground for “movement politics” and a path toward post-colonial autocratic rule.

Shedding light on how to deconstruct movement politics and consolidate democracy in Africa, this book will be of interest to scholars of African politics and democratization.