Abstract

This panel discussion seeks to draw out and compare the complex, often contradictory, tense but mutual existence between law enforcement, criminal gangs and the respective communities, through case studies from informal urban settlements in post-colonial contexts. It is often taken for granted that one of the primary duties of the police is to provide the public with an honest, efficient police service that ensures the rule of law and creates an environment of safety and security. Importantly, it is assumed that a legitimate police is one that creates a conducive environment to the realisation of people’s human rights. However, as police, gangs and communities have sought to navigate law and order in emerging post- colonial countries, their relationship in practice is much less straightforward, often seeming to exist in a state of mutual, but tense co-existence. The status and activity of criminal gangs, social movements and popular protests muddle the link between policing and human rights. Changing technological capabilities in the hands of law enforcement and these other actors raise further questions about the relationship between law enforcement and human rights: with changing and growing forms of surveillance.

Join us for a panel discussion with:

Kaitlin M. Ball is a licensed U.S. attorney finishing her PhD in Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge, where she focuses on policing and paramilitarism in post-Patten Northern Ireland. 

Nanjala Nyabola is a writer, independent re-searcher and political analyst currently based in Nairobi, Kenya. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Al Jazeera, World Politics Review, as well as chapters in edited collections. Nanjala holds a BA in African Studies and Political Science from the University of Birmingham, an MSc in Forced Migration and an MSc in African Studies, both from the University of Oxford, which she attended as a Rhodes Scholar, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Dr. Jude Kagoro has been a Research Fellow at the Institute of Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS), Bremen University since June 2013. His research on Uganda police is part of the DFG Priority Programme “Adaptation and Creativity in Africa.” He is currently completing a manuscript on “Police Practices in Uganda.” Dr. Kagoro is a consultant with both Uganda Police Force and the Rwanda National Police.

This talk will be followed by a wine reception. All welcome!