H arry J ohnston's New Boot: The U ganda A greement and Ideas of Development

As an early development practitioner, H arry J ohnston came to U ganda intending to develop a socially responsible capitalism – his ‘new boot’ for the B aganda. He negotiated this intent into the 1900 U ganda A greement and expected that, once implemented, these conditions would lead naturally to the desired ends. What happened was something quite different. B aganda chiefs negotiated their own goals into the A greement, and their actions, along with those of B aganda farmers and workers, produced very different results than that which J ohnston envisioned. In effect, his intent to develop was subsumed by the contingent process of development. While interesting in itself, this story informs recent development debates. Some post‐development theorists, while attempting to provide a practical alternative to modernist development, appear to incorporate assumptions similar to those under which J ohnston operated. However, if these laudable attempts are to succeed, they must learn from J ohnston's experience and account for development's contingent nature.