Browsing by Author "Stephen Handa"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Assessing the Effectiveness of East African Community Interventions in Combating Economic Crimes in Tanzania
    (Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies (JAIS), 2025-08) Peter Yohana Mrio; Stephen Handa; Emmanuel Psongol Kondoltiony
    The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of the East African Community (EAC) interventions in combating economic crimes in Tanzania, with a focus on the performance of collaborative mechanisms among EAC law enforcement agencies. Guided by collective action theory and rational choice theory, the research employed a mixed-methods design, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data were gathered from key stakeholders such as law enforcement personnel, policymakers, legal professionals, and civil society representatives using structured interviews and questionnaires. The sampling strategy combined both probability and non-probability techniques to ensure a balanced representation. Ethical standards were upheld through institutional approval and informed consent procedures. Findings indicate that while formal structures for regional cooperation exist, their effectiveness is undermined by bureaucratic red tape, limited technological capacity, and insufficient political will. These obstacles impede efficient intelligence-sharing and coordination across borders, weakening the region's overall response to economic crime. The study recommends enhancing institutional capacity through increased funding, specialized training, and the integration of advanced technologies. Strengthening regional cooperation through improved communication and intelligence-sharing is essential, as is reinforcing political commitment to combat corruption and promote accountability. Public engagement should be heightened through awareness campaigns involving civil society and the private sector. Finally, the study advocates for the creation of a centralized EAC Economic Crimes Unit to lead and coordinate regional anti-crime initiatives.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effect of Kenya’s External Debt Sustainability on Militarisation and Crime Rate in Kenya (1993-2023): A Time Series Analysis
    (A Journal of the National Defence University-Kenya, 2025-12) Mwende Mwendwa; Stephen Handa; Paul M. Gachanja
    In this paper, the complex relationship between external debt sustainability and national security outcomes in Kenya is addressed through an analysis of indicators of militarisation and crime rates. The study examines the direct and indirect effects of debt sustainability on security outcomes from 1993 to 2023, focusing on militarisation and from 2004 to 2023, on crime rates, using Vector Autoregressive (VAR) models with time series data. Diagnostic tests, such as the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test, KPSS test, Johansen cointegration analysis and multiple lag selection criteria, were used to pre-estimate the absence of long-term relationships among the variables, thereby justifying the use of the VAR method over alternative models. The findings indicate complicated interactions: although the external debt sustainability does not have a direct impact of any importance on existing military spending or the crime rate, there are crucial feedbacks via socio-economic mediators. Historical military expenditure has a positive impact on external debt (14.79, p < 0.10), indicating that security investments are counterintuitive to fiscal sustainability. Urbanisation negatively impacts debt sustainability (-594.36, p < 0.05), indicating demographic pressures on fiscal resources. Research indicates that important debt-to-GDP levels are between 55% and 60%, at which security effects become increasingly evident in a non-linear manner. Combined with the results, the sustainability of debt in the area is the primary factor affecting security through indirect channels (including unemployment, urbanisation and budgeting restrictions), rather than having direct budget implications. Policy recommendations, such as the institution of integrated debt-security monitoring tools, targeted intervention in high-risk cities and flexible military budget preparation that takes into account fiscal sustainability levels, can be suggested. The study can help maximise the knowledge of the impacts of fiscal constraints spilling over to security lapses in developing economies.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Regional Integration and Economic Security: Evaluating Kenya’s Experience under the EAC Framework
    (A Journal of the National Defence University-Kenya, 2025-06) Bennacate Chibole Andanje; Stephen Handa; Nyaburi Nyadera
    This study investigates the impact of East African Community (EAC) integration on Kenya’s economic security by evaluating the outcomes of the Customs Union, Common Market, and proposed Monetary Union. Utilising a mixed-methods design that integrates survey data (n = 170), semi-structured interviews (n = 15), and macroeconomic indicators (2010–2024), the study develops a composite Economic Security Index (ESI) encompassing trade efficiency, labour mobility, and fiscal health. Findings show that Kenya’s ESI improved from 52.1 in 2010 to 68.4 in 2023, with the Common Market—especially labour mobility—emerging as the strongest driver (β = 0.402). However, progress remains uneven: the manufacturing and logistics sectors benefited from adherence to the Common External Tariff, while agriculture lagged due to persistent non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and phytosanitary disputes. Monetary integration showed the weakest impact, constrained by inflation divergence and fiscal asymmetries among member states. The study extends Balassa’s (1961) integration model by revealing asymmetric policy spillovers and the critical role of institutional enforcement. Qualitative data expose regulatory fragmentation, informal payments at borders, and licensing delays that hinder professional mobility. Policy recommendations include digitising customs via blockchain, establishing mutual recognition agreements, and capitalising a regional small and medium enterprises credit guarantee fund. These insights offer a nuanced understanding of regional integration’s potential and limitations in advancing economic security in Africa.