Student politics at Makerere University in the Lens of Schmitter and Streeck’s Framework: student leaders and political parties

Abstract

While the influence of political parties on student politics has been a topic of investigation for a long time, little research has been done in relation to Africa’s young democracies and the re-emergence of multi-party politics in these countries. It is with this understanding that this study assesses a theoretical framework adapted from Schmitter and Streeck (1999) to explain the nature of the relationship between student politics and political parties in Uganda. The paper highlights need for changes to the Schmitter and Streeck framework to ensure better analysis of the relationship. The study finds that the recruitment of student cadres seems the most important function of party-political involvement in student politics, while student leaders gain goods and services as part of the benefits of their association with political parties. Additionally, while student leaders are influential in the weaker parties, there is still an element of party control over the leaders, particularly when student leaders expect to pursue a political career upon graduation. Finally, reflecting on the analysis, conceptual changes are proposed to the framework for a more critical analysis of student politics. Keywords: Student politics; Democratisation; Activism