| This comparative case study examines the independence of the Uganda and Kenya parliaments from the time of their independence from the U.K. in the early 1960s, until 2008, focusing especially on the past 12 years. Beginning in the mid-late 1990s, these East African legislatures became two of the most independent in Africa, censuring ministers, developing effective committees, amending legislation, and enacting private member bills that significantly enhanced their power relative to that of their executive branches. Following the enactment of these private member bills, the two parliaments gained control over their budgets and staffs, expanded their campuses, and began playing unprecedented policy-making and oversight roles. Uganda's Parliament censured ministers, and its committees became very active. It reached its highest levels of independence and power in the Sixth Parliament (1996-2001) during Uganda's no-party era, but has since become a less independent institution. The Kenya Parliament, in contrast, continues to expand its power relative to the presidency, and members are relatively unconstrained by political parties.;The dissertation describes how, after decades of presidential and party dominance over the Uganda and Kenya parliaments, the two legislatures were able to become independent institutions. Key factors in both cases were the efforts of parliamentary reformers, who recognized the need to strengthen their legislatures, and were able to win the support of other legislators. The study finds, somewhat paradoxically, that while the restoration of multi-party politics in Kenya in the early 1990s helped make possible the development of Kenya's independent parliament, the re-establishment of multi-party politics in Uganda has been a key factor in reducing the independence of the its parliament.;The dissertation combines indicators of legislative institutionalization with indicators of formal legislative powers and their use to arrive at approximate measures of parliamentary independence. The study also introduces the Independence of Parliament Triangle, to illustrate the relative influence of presidents, political parties, and "the independent parliament" over decisions emanating from the legislatures. |
