Decentralization and agrarian transformation in Ethiopia: extending the power of the federal state

A controversial aspect of the Ethiopian ‘developmental state’ lies in the peculiar relationship between local administrative structures and farmers. This article discusses this local interface in light of the implementation of recent reforms establishing a decentralized system of land administration. The aim is to explore the discursive repertoire behind the implementation of decentralization so as to understand its significance in relation to the broader project of rural development. The article describes the local administrative structure, its agents, and how it reconfigures the relationship between the state and farmers in the rural milieu. The article presents empirical evidence from the case of Siraro wereda in Oromiya region, and makes a detailed analysis of how local officials and farmers experience decentralization on the ground. The main conclusion is that, by legitimizing and laying the technical foundation of a rural development project that relies on two main political narratives (‘equity and fairness’ and ‘efficiency and productivity’), decentralization in Ethiopia has the effect of strengthening the already hierarchical system of local administration and thereby serves to further extend the power of the Ethiopian state.