Conclusion

Abstract

This study has established that the most significant factor that accounted for the persistence of intense political violence in Uganda was the severe crisis of legitimacy of the state, its institutions, the incumbents and their challengers. It has also been shown that the crisis, which is shaped by both internal and external forces, past and present, accounted for the remarkable continuity in the history of political violence since the construction of the predatory and conflict-laden state. Confronted with a profound legitimation deficit, the state, the political incumbents and their challengers adopted both violent and non-violent strategies, depending on the circumstances. The strategies, however, failed to address the profound legitimation deficits because they systematically alienated segments of the society and failed to create conditions, institutions and practices to transform the state in order to provide rights-based human security and create inclusive, representative, democratic, accountable institutions and the rule of law and broad power base. They also failed because, since the construction of the state, the political incumbents “owned” the contested and contesting state, its institutions, its laws, its resources and the general public.