Conclusion

While Rin Tueny’s tenure as governor is characterized by a significant pacification of Lakes state overall, political vulnerabilities and the re-emergence of cattle-related violence suggest that the ‘honeymoon period’ that Rin Tueny enjoyed during his first year in office has come to an end. The governor is struggling to institutionalize his approach to governance, and the recent bloody fighting at the border areas to. Warrap suggests that heavy-handed deterrence cannot be sustained indefinitely.

The current challenge for Rin Tueny is to transform the highly personalized, deterrence-based system into an institutionalized, rule-of-law-based strategy. While this is the administration’s declared ambition, efforts to move beyond the highly personalized, repressive style of governance that Rin Tueny represents have not yet succeeded. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that this approach has not led to impactful investigations by human rights professionals and activists, especially since the nature of the system relies on publicly known, extra-legal repressive tactics.

According to many in the state, the positive effects of Rin Tueny’s heavy-handed approach outweigh the downsides. The recent slide back into violence in some areas, however, suggests that a rule-bound governance system will not be socio-politically accepted without resistance in the state. Even government officials acknowledge that such acceptance has yet to be achieved. Given growing concerns about the negative impacts of current policies, these dynamics could influence Rin Tueny’s short- and mid-term career path.