Our Long Walk
Our Long Walk
Can you say SDGs?
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Can you say SDGs?

EPISODE 2: Jonathan and I speak to Ken Opalo about African elites, what donor organisations get wrong, and why RCTs fail to do good...
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What role do African parliaments play in shaping governance? How do historical legacies affect contemporary political systems, and why does foreign aid often fail to build stronger local institutions?

In this episode, Jonathan Schoots and I explore these – and many more – questions with Ken Opalo. Ken is an Associate Professor at Georgetown University, specialising in African political economy and governance. Together, we discuss the evolution of democracy across African countries, the dynamics of institutional reform, and the complex relationship between domestic policies and international development efforts. Ken offers insights into the challenges facing African economies and the potential paths for recovery.

Ken has nearly two decades of experience studying African politics, economics, and history. He holds a PhD in Political Science from Stanford and a BA from Yale. In addition to his academic work, Ken runs An Africanist Perspective, where he provides analyses of African political economy. And yes, he’s a devoted Arsenal fan!

We discuss several of Ken’s academic papers and blog posts: a chapter on the political economy of aid in Africa, a paper on clientalism in Kenya, and blog posts on two ideas on how to invest some of Melinda Gates’ $12.5 billion?, the powerlessness of Leftist politics in African states, and the difference between academic research and policy research. His book, Legislative Development in Africa: Politics and Postcolonial Legacies, is available on Amazon. The Suno song we created about Ken’s research – Wealth in People – can be found here. Make sure to sign up for his blog at:

Previous episodes are available wherever you listen to your podcasts. In Episode 0, Jonathan and I introduce the podcast. In Episode 1, we speak to Princeton University Bronwen Everill, whose book Africonomics was published last week. You can get it on Amazon here. Our next guest is Chicago University political scientist James Robinson.

‘Can you say SDGs?’ was first published on Our Long Walk. Thank you for your support. The image was created with Midjourney v6.

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