Abstract: | Starting from a similar position in recognising the primacy of the rural sector in the national economies as well assigning it a critical role in the development process, the three East African governments (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) have adopted different strategies to deal with what appeared a similar problem. This can be explained partly because of different historical experiences and partly because of the ideological orientation of the leaders. This difference in orien-tation also makes comparisons of levels of achievement rather difficult. However, the experiences in East Africa raise the question whether it is possible to maximise growth and equality simultaneously. The Tanzanian strategy is based on the belief that it is possible whereas that of the other two states is built in the assumption that it is not. Sections: The case for rural development - Rural development policies in East Africa: similarities and differences. Notes, Zusammenfassung in Deutsch, Resume en francais. |