Elders Against the State: The Case of Gisu Clan Elders Reclaiming a Coffee Cooperative

Abstract

Research has identified a problem of executive authorities in Africa that operate largely free of accountability and/or balance of power, often resulting in oppression, tyranny or other abuses. In response to calls for greater understanding of indigenous African leadership, this chapter reports emergent results of a problem-focused ethnographic study that investigated characteristics of Gisu/Masaaba clan elder leadership in East Africa, specifically as elders interact with executive authority. Elders are a tribal form of leadership wherein leaders are embedded in the community but lack political power. The research question asked: What are the modalities indigenous to Gisu culture, specifically from elder councils, that facilitate accountability and balance of power in African governance? The study (N = 49) employed participant observation as well as directed observation and interview-based participant listening with elders, youth and government leaders to produce rich qualitative data. Data found support for elders’ facilitating accountability through speaking directly to the leader, escalating complaints to higher authorities and taking the case to the public. Formation of a supra-clan body (the Elders Forum), which persistently utilized the modality of elders’ voice to call for reform, led to the reclamation of a community-owned coffee cooperative that had been seized and mismanaged by the central government.