Political: Kujenga

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Kujenga gained semi-independence fifty-six years ago under a post-colonial United Nations mandated trusteeship. Three years later, Kujenga gained full independence, establishing a   constitution built on a single political party system.

Working under the UN mandate, the outgoing colonial power lent support to the group of elites who had made up the bureaucracy under colonial rule. These elites united under the political party People of Change (POC). They have since maintained control of the government through successive elections, except for a brief experiment with multi-party rule seven years ago that ended five years later with the subsequent election.  

The POC continues to dominate Kunjengan politics, functioning as the gatekeeper between society and the state. As the enforcer of state rules, POC uses its control over state structures and resources to grant favors—tax breaks, business licenses, contracts, and other forms of patronage—to powerful private economic and influential societal actors. The POC has maintained support among the economic and political elites, even after the legalization of opposition political parties twenty-seven years ago. The POC’s historical placement as an independence movement at Kujenga’s beginning and five decades of relative stability enables the party to cultivate popular support by nurturing its image as the guardian of national unity and portraying opposition parties as antithetical to that unity.

The Kujengan ruling party has curried the favor of and protected the military and other security forces. This favor ensures the POC is backed by Kujenga’s security forces when protests and other threats have erupted. A veneer of democracy and judicial complicity, along with assurance of military protection, allows the POC to maintain its hold on power.  

Centers of Political Power

Ariana

Political power resides almost exclusively with the ruling POC party. The POC allows opposition parties, but only so long as they do not threaten it in meaningful ways. The POC’s influence is pervasive throughout both the national and local governments. This ensures it has almost universal support at all levels of government.

Military Authority

The Kujengan constitution designates the Prime Minister as the commander-in-chief of the Kujengan military. The Prime Minister also appoints the Minister of Defense and National Service and the other members of the Kujengan National Defense Council. The military is constitutionally subordinated to the civilian leadership, and it respects this relationship. Over many years, the POC party built a relationship with the military that ensures this subordination. Since independence, Kujenga has not faced the threat of a military coup. The military is generally respected, but has been used to support counter-terrorism operations and to suppress protests against specific groups. Within these groups, there is suspicion and distrust of the military and other security forces.

Family Authority

Families in Kujenga are culturally and economically important. Family bonds are particularly strong in rural areas, where the agricultural economy makes immediate and extended family members important to survival and well-being. In rural areas, extended families live together: elderly members of the family have a place of authority and respect within the home and the community. Elderly members of the family are also a means of transferring values and cultural order to future generations.

The closeness of rural families has eroded to some degree in urban areas. Urban families do not always have the advantage of physical proximity with extended family members. Smaller available housing units and families separated from one another reduces the influence of older family members.

Families are members of clans and tribes, which adds extended means of support and organizational structure. Tribal affiliation can be either patriarchal or matriarchal. Tribal membership is shaped through traditions, rites, and social standing within the larger tribal population. The standing of a particular family within a tribe is determined by wealth, size, historical events, and other cultural variables.

Attitudes Toward the US

Kujenga established diplomatic relations with the United States when it gained independence fifty-three years ago. Relations between the two countries have been strained at various times because of Kujenga’s tight-knit oligarchic political structure and its repressive tendencies. Ongoing tensions and violence between the Kujengan government and the Tanga region brought US condemnation. The Kujengan government is focused on addressing rampant corruption and government inaction, but the country has also experienced a shrinking of democratic space. The United States remains committed to strengthening democracy in Kujenga. In addition, the US  supports women’s and children’s health initiatives, HIV/AIDS treatment, nutrition and food security, economic growth, energy infrastructure, sustainable development, and security.

Several exchange programs welcome citizens from Kujenga to the United States, including the Fulbright Program, Hubert Humphrey Fellowship, and the Young African Leaders Initiative. Short term exchanges, small grants, and other public outreach programs support the development of artists, journalists, writers, civil servants, young leaders, musicians, and students.

The United States has provided development assistance to Kujenga to promote democratic governance, address health and education issues, and promote broad-based economic growth, and advance regional and domestic security to sustain progress. Kujenga is willing to accept US help, but chafes at criticism. It views the US with a degree of caution.

Attitude Toward US Trade

Kujenga's exports to the United States are dominated by crude oil, agricultural commodities, minerals, and textiles. Imports from the United States include wheat, agricultural/transport equipment, chemicals, used clothes, and machinery. Kujenga is eligible for preferential trade benefits. The United States has a regional Trade and Investment Framework Agreement to which Kujegna belongs.

Type of Government

Kujenga’s executive is led by a Prime Minister with a unicameral legislature and a semi-independent judiciary. While ostensibly a democracy with regular elections, the government is, in reality, led by a one-party oligarchy of political elites. It is classified as a closed anocracy, meaning Kujenga permits limited opposition group activities. The governmental mechanisms to redress grievances, however, are incomplete. The POC is able to maintain its authority and realize its policy agendas, while still allowing some political opposition dynamics within controlled parameters. The POC permits some democratic institutions, but with only nominal capacity to compete with the ruling party. Kujenga is neither wholly democratic nor wholly autocratic; it is closer to autocracy than a participatory democracy.

Legislative Authority

Kujenga National Council Seats

The Kujenga parliaments known as the National Council (NC). The NC is a unicameral legislative body, with the ruling party having a consistent and significant majority. The NC began as a small advisory council to the occupying western colonial power, but had little power or authority beyond providing feedback to the colonial government. Under the Kujengan constitution, established fifty-three years ago, its membership expanded and it took on national legislative responsibilities. Since that time, the POC has always received legislative validation and approval of its policies and agendas. Kujenga consists of 30 regions from which there are 357 representative seats—244 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by a simple majority vote, 102 women directly elected by proportional representation vote, 10 appointed by the Prime Minister, and 1 seat reserved for the attorney general. Members serve 5-year terms with no term limits.

International and limited domestic pressure led to the legalization of multi-party participation twenty-seven years ago. This resulted in some erosion of POC strength. However, there has never been a serious threat to the POC’s hold on government. A strong executive branch and a ruling political party whose influence permeates the country ensures POC majorities whenever needed.

The Kujenga constitution gives the National Council oversight of the executive branch. In practice, this oversight is weak. The system concentrates power in the hands of the executive and has virtually no constraints imposed on it by the National Council. While the constitution provides for the authority to remove the Prime Minister in certain situations, the tight grip of the POC on the legislature guarantees the Prime Minister’s agenda will receive approval. The members of the executive cabinet, appointed by the Prime Minister from members of the parliament (MPs), retain their National Council seats while serving in the cabinet. The constitution grants the Prime Minister extensive powers to dissolve the National Council, which further weakens the oversight function of the legislative branch. There are no limits on the number of times the Council can be dissolved. Dissolution, however, requires a call for new elections, to include the Prime Minister.

The National Council performs the following constitutional functions:

• Representation of the country
• Making of laws
• Oversight of judicial and Executive Branches of government

The National Council is led by a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker, both of whom are elected by the MPs. The current Speaker is Vinza Odemba and his deputy is Kami Semzaba. The speaker controls the legislative agenda and oversees committee assignments. An MP can submit a complaint regarding any decision made by the speaker, which must then be submitted to the general body for consideration.

The National Council establishes standing committees to implement laws and orders, as provided in the constitution. The standing committees are permanent, and temporary ad hoc committees may also be formed to deal with specific issues.

The following are the current standing committees:

1. Public Investment
2. Local Authorities Accountability
3. Community Services Development
4. Foreign Affairs and Security
5. Public Works and Transportation
6. Budget, Finance, and Planning
7. Energy and Natural Resources
8. Ethics
9. Agriculture
10. Livestock and Fisheries
11. Tourism
12. Culture, Artists, and Sports
13. Government Oversight
14. Communication
15. Military Affairs
16. Regional Affairs
17. Gender Equality
18. Health and Education
19. Rules
20. Water and Irrigation
21. Gender, Children, and Seniors
22. Internal Migration and Settlement
23. Trade and Industry

Political Party Representation in the National Council

Political Party	Seats	Pct.
People of Change (POC)	200	56.0
United Front (UF)	57	16.0
Democracy and Progress Party (DPP)	24	6.7
Revolutionary Front of Kujenga (RFK)	19	8.6
Labor Party of Kujenga (LPK)	12	3.4
National Reform Party (NRP)	36	10.1
Alliance for Transparent Government (ATG)	9	2.5

Executive Authority

Kujenga Executive Ministries

The executive is the most powerful political institution in Kujenga. The Executive Branch is led by a Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, elected on the same ticket by a simple majority of the National Council. The Prime Minister is both the head of government and the head of state, as well as the commander-in-chief of the military. The Prime Minister appoints a wide range of key officials who are accountable to him, providing opportunities for political patronage. He appoints the Chief Justice, other judges, and key civil servants, from the national to the district level. The Prime Minister also appoints the top commanding officers in the armed forces. Furthermore, the Prime Minister has the power to appoint and dismiss his cabinet ministers with no consultation or approval from the NC.

The constitution provides a structural mechanism for restraining the Prime Minister’s authority over financial matters through the Office of Government Audit (OGA). The primary purpose of the OGA is to oversee the management of public funds at the national and local levels, ostensibly to create transparency and a bulwark against corruption. The OGA is constitutionally mandated to submit audit and other accounting reports to the NC through the Ministry of Finance and Planning (MFP).

In practical terms, however, the OGA is limited in both its ability and capacity to perform its constitutional functions. The OGA is led by the Auditor General (AG) who is appointed by the Prime Minister, calling into question its independence. The Executive Branch sets the organization’s budget and makes human resource decisions, allowing it to keep OGA salaries at such a low level that qualified candidates are unwilling to work there. This Lack of resources and independence calls into question much of the work of Kujengathe, and contributes directly to corruption.

Prime Minister Adisa Ayo came to power during the experiment with multi-party rule seven years ago. He carefully shepherded the government back to single party rule five years later and has continued to cement power with the POC party. Ayo is a product of the POC party machine. He held low-level positions in the government after completing his university education. He has quickly risen through the party and government ranks, utilizing both his charismatic personality and family connections.

Deputy Prime Minister Baako Faraji was elected on the same ticket with Prime Minister Ayo. Faraji is less of a politician and more a technocrat. His education and experience is as a civil engineer. He is relatively new to politics, having held technical ministry positions within the Public Works and Transportation, Water and Irrigation, and Energy and Natural Resources ministries. Faraji is less charismatic than the more personable and extroverted Ayo. Whereas Ayo’s family is prominent and wealthy, Faraji comes from more modest and less privileged means. Faraji tends to spend time in the background, allowing Ayo to be in the spotlight.

Judicial Authority

Kujenga’s legal system is a combination of common law, Sharia law, and customary law. Local courts are presided over by appointed magistrates who have limited jurisdiction. Decisions at this level may be appealed to district courts that are headed by either resident or district magistrates. Appeals can also be made to the High Court, which consists of a Chief Justice and 17 judges appointed by the prime minister. The High Court has both civil and criminal jurisdiction over all persons and all matters. Appeals from the High Court can be made to a five-member Court of Appeal. Judges are appointed to the Court of Appeal and the High Court by the Prime Minister on the advice of the Chief Justice, and to courts at lower levels by the Chief Justice.

Although declared independent by the constitution, the judiciary is subject to Executive Branch influence and is criticized as inefficient and corrupt. Fairness is particularly unlikely in political cases.

Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal of Kujenga is the highest court in the judicial hierarchy. It consists of the Chief Justice and other justices of appeal. The Court of Appeal is the court of final appeal.

High Courts

The High Court of Kujenga has unlimited original jurisdiction to entertain all types of cases. The High Court exercises original jurisdiction on constitutional matters and has powers to entertain election petitions. The High Court’s main and sub-registries adjudicate both civil and criminal matters. The High Court has 12 sub-registries in different zones of the country. It also has two specialized divisions—the Commercial Division and the Land Division. All appeals from subordinate courts go to the High Courts.

Subordinate Courts

These courts include the Resident Magistrate Courts and the District Courts. These courts were established under the Magistrate and District Courts Act. The District Courts, unlike the Resident Magistrates Courts, are found throughout all the districts in Kujenga. They receive appeals from the Primary Courts, several of which will be found in one district. The Resident Magistrates Courts are located in major towns, municipalities and cities, which serve as the regional headquarters.

Primary Courts

Primary Courts are the lowest courts in the judicial hierarchy. They are established under the Magistrate and District Courts Act. These courts adjudicate both criminal and civil cases. Civil cases dealing with property and family law matters that apply customary law Islamic law must be initiated at primary court level, where the magistrates sit with lay assessors instead of jurors.

Tribunals

Kujenga uses a system of tribunals for special cases. These include the District Land and Housing Tribunal, Tax Tribunal and the Tax Appeals Tribunal, Labor Reconciliation Board, the Kujenga Industrial Court, and Military Tribunals for the Armed forces. If a person is dissatisfied with any decision made by any of the tribunals, they may appeal to the High Court for judicial review.

Government Effectiveness and Legitimacy

The POC enjoys a uniquely long history of legitimacy thanks to a combination of political and economic patronage and curried favor with the security forces. The POC’s early association with Kujenga’s independence movement give it a sentimental and emotional status with Kujengans, who are also given a healthy dose of indoctrination intended to instill national patriotism and pride associated with the POC throughout their school years.

Kujenga is not without problems, however. Centralized government control by oligarchic elites puts the decision-making in the hands of a strong executive branch with narrowly defined interests. Corruption is  endemic within the government. Periodic protests, particularly surrounding elections and separatists, are met with swift reprisal from Kujengan security forces. While Kujenga is generally stable, a few poorly-timed violent events or natural disasters could tip the balance in the direction of instability.

Domestic Political Issues

One of the most significant internal issues facing Kujenga is the Tanga separatist movement. Forty-one years ago, the Tanga Independence Party demanded that it be separated from Kujenga and be included within the borders of Amari. This movement is a source of ongoing protests and violence. Thirteen years ago, Kujenga declared to the United Nations that it would not cede Tanga to Amari. Nine years ago, Tangan demonstrators closed the main rail line from the port. Kujengan security forces reacted to these protests with violence, killing and injuring several protestors and arresting many more. This event has since become rallying call for Tangan separatists.

There is widespread concern at a recent wave of killings of local government leaders and police officers in the coastal region. In the most deadly incident, eight officers were shot dead by an armed gang. The police launched a manhunt in response. After discovering the criminals’ temporary hideout, the police killed four suspects in an exchange of gunfire. There was no evidence to link the ongoing incidents with terrorism, rather, it seems a small criminal organization was causing problems in the area.

Land-use conflicts are ongoing in ancestral lands and near nature reserves and national parks where the government has restricted grazing. A report completed last year by a special commission appointed by the government estimated that over the last decade, police were responsible for 65 deaths and 270 injuries during clashes with villagers. This is particularly true of the Kasama region in the southwestern part of the country where the AJP has a direct and ongoing conflict with the government.

Elections

Domestic and international observers generally deemed the elections conducted two years ago to be moderately credible, but noted a number of areas of concern. An international observer mission described “highly competitive, generally well organized elections, but with insufficient efforts at transparency.” The mission noted that the POC had utilized state resources, such as public stadiums, to support its campaign. Civil society groups reported subtle voter intimidation in the Tanga area and some irregularities in process.

Last year, authorities announced an indefinite ban on all demonstrations and rallies, stopping political parties from holding assemblies in public. The government clarified the following month that the opposition could hold small constituency meetings, but the effects of the ban were nevertheless overwhelmingly negative. Opposition parties report regular harassment and intimidation by the ruling party and various state institutions, including the police. Some opposition leaders have been arrested and held in detention for extended periods of time.

Rule of Law

Kujenga’s judiciary suffers from underfunding and corruption. Judges are political appointees and the judiciary does not have an independent budget, which makes it vulnerable to political pressure. Rule of law does not always prevail in civil and criminal matters. Despite recent improvements, policies and rules regarding arrest and pretrial detention are often ignored. Prisoners suffer from harsh conditions, including overcrowding and poor medical care. Security forces reportedly abuse, threaten, and mistreat civilians routinely and with limited accountability. Vigilante justice and mob violence are common, and security forces are often unable or unwilling to enforce the rule of law.

As of six months ago, Kujenga was home to a significant number of refugees, many of whom entered the country two years ago following outbreaks of civil unrest throughout the region. Refugee camps are overburdened. Human rights advocates criticized the Anti-terrorism Law passed eight years ago and the Good Order Act passed four years ago for giving police and immigration official's excessive power to arrest suspected illegal immigrants and conduct anti-terrorism raids and other operations. These laws have also been used to silence political opposition.

Corruption

Corruption is pervasive throughout Kujengan society. It is a serious problem across all sectors of the economy and throughout government and security forces. The most affected sectors are government procurement, land administration, taxation and customs. Petty corruption is rampant among traffic and customs and immigration officials. Corruption is criminalized under the Anti-Corruption Act (ACA), which covers attempted corruption, extortion, passive and active bribery, money laundering and bribery of a foreign official. A range of legislation covers other corruption offences, but anti-corruption laws are applied inconsistently and are poorly enforced. Gift-giving and the use of facilitation payments for the purpose of inducing corrupt behavior are illegal under the ACA.

The Kujengan judicial system is tainted by corruption and is subject to executive influence. The judiciary is underfunded, corrupt and inefficient, especially in the lower courts. Court clerks and magistrates are known to accept bribes to open, misdirect, or determine a case's outcome. The degree to which the system can provide an expeditious and fair trial is questionable. Despite widespread perceptions of judicial corruption and susceptibility to political interference, the institution has demonstrated some autonomy with the prosecution of two former government officials for corruption two years ago and upholding the ruling despite subsequent appeals. These kinds of decisions are too often the exception and not the rule.

International Relationships

Kujenga is cautious of western intentions, but willing to engage in mutually beneficial relationships.

Regional Actors

Kujenga enjoys good relations with its neighbors. Kujenga has long promoted efforts to resolve chronic conflicts in the region. It helped to broker peace talks to end conflicts and was instrumental in discussions about economic and regional cooperation. Its ongoing diplomatic relationship with Nyumba played a critical role in resolving regional conflicts.

Ziwa

Kujenga enjoys warm relations with Ziwa. Kujenga seeks to increase its influence in Ziwa, while reducing the influence of Amari and western countries. Border tensions are causing concerns, but the two countries maintain diplomatic relations.

Amari

Relations between Amari and Kujenga are contentious. Kujengan refugees entering Amari is a point of friction. Fears of terrorist infiltration within the refugee population is a source of concerns for Amari security organizations. Diplomacy is focused on supporting local governance along the border where it is weakest due to corruption, warlords, and weak border enforcement of smuggling and other laws. Amari and Kujenga maintain embassies in the other’s country and participate in joint efforts to increase regional security and stability. Kujenga is also suspicious of Amari’s relationship with the western countries.

Nyumba

While not physically sharing a border with Nyumba, Kujenga has acted as a mediator for regional concerns involving Nyumba. The two countries have close diplomatic and trading relationships.

International Organizations

Organization	AMA	KUJ	NYU	ZIWA
African, Caribbean, and Pacific Group of States (ACP)	x	x	x	x
African Development Bank Group (AfDB)	x	x	x	x
African Union (AU)	x	x	x	x
Election Assistance Commission (EAC)	x	x
East Africa Development Bank (EADB)	x	x
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)	x	x	x	x
G-77	x	x	x	x
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)	x	x	x	x
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)	x	x	x	x
International Criminal Court (ICCt)	x	x		x
International Development Association (IDA)	x	x	x	x
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)	x	x	x	x
International Finance Corporation (IFC)	x	x	x	x
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRCS)	x	x	x	x
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)	x		x
International Labor Organization (ILO)	x	x	x	x
International Monetary Fund (IMF)	x	x	x	x
International Maritime Organization (IMO)	x	x	x	x
International Mobile Satellite Organization (IMSO)	x	x		x
Interpol	x	x	x	x
International Parliamentary Union (IPU)	x	x	x	x
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)	x	x	x	x
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)	x	x	x	x
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)	x	x	x	x
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)	x	x		x
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)	x	x	x	x
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)	x	x	x	x
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)	x	x	x	x
United Nations (UN)	x	x	x	x
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)	x	x	x	x
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)	x	x	x	x
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)	x	x	x	x
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)	x	x	x	x
United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)	x	x	x	x
Universal Postal Union (UPU)	x	x	x	x
World Health Organization (WHO)	x	x	x	x
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)	x	x	x	x
World Trade Organization (WTO)	x	x	x	x
European Development Fund (EDF)	x
Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)	x		x
East African Community	x	x	x	x

Military Alliances

The Kujenga Armed Service is involved in regional peacekeeping efforts, often as part of a wider regional security force.   Kujenga is also a regular contributor to international peacekeeping forces. Kujenga has intelligence sharing agreements with Ziwa, combating criminal activities and countering extremists along their shared border.

Influential Political Groups

The Kujenga Armed Service is involved in regional peacekeeping efforts, often as part of a wider regional security force.   Kujenga is also a regular contributor to international peacekeeping forces. Kujenga has intelligence sharing agreements with Ziwa, combating criminal activities and countering extremists along their shared border.

Other Domestic Influential Groups

• Aids Treatment and Prevention Foundation
• Poverty in Rural Areas Alliance
• Alliance Against Children in Conflict
• Kujengan Economic Development and Empowerment
• Juvenile Justice Center
• Civil Society Action Alliance
• Government Transparency Initiative
• Tangan Relief Society
• Kujengan Chamber of Commerce

Summary

Kujenga has maintained de facto one-party rule for the entirety of its fifty-three years of independence. Building upon a group of political elites during its initial period of United Nations Trusteeship, western powers formed the beginnings of the People of Change political party. This party has maintained control of the government through a combination of a romantic and a sentimental connection to independence, patronage, and the use of government and military means to suppress opposition. Relative stability throughout its history has also contributed to the POC’s staying power.

Kujenga faces several challenges. In recent years, the POC passed legislation used to arrest and detain opposition leaders in the name of national security. The use of force against those deemed threats lessened participation in Kujenga’s democracy. Periodic protests in areas such as the Tanga region and other areas of friction within the country tend to be met with swift force by Kujengan security forces. Corruption is endemic within the government. While there is general national stability, there is always the danger that some internal or external event might move Kujenga toward instability.