This dissertation attempts to test the applicability of the neoclassical, orthodox Marxist, and dependency paradigms in light of the development experiences of Tanzania and Kenya. The larger goal of the dissertation is a preliminary formulation of an alternative development approach which is non-essentialist and class focused. In chapter one, the dissertation format as well as statements of the problems are introduced. In chapter two, the international context within which the two countries must operate is discussed. In chapter three, the three theoretical approaches are critically examined. In chapter four, the colonial history of Tanzania and Kenya, designed to acquaint the readers with the two countries is sketched. In chapter five, the two countries' actual development experiences are examined. Specifically, the role of the state, the industrial and agricultural development experiences of both countries are closely examined. In chapter six, the three theoretical paradigms in light of the experiences of Tanzania and Kenya are assessed. The assessment shows that none of the paradigms fully describes or adequately explains their process of development. Finally, in chapter seven, an all-encompassing alternative development approach based on the concept of "overdetermination" is proposed.