The National Research Repository of Uganda - NRU
Welcome to the National Research Repository of Uganda, abbreviated as "NRU". NRU was established in 2021. NRU is a collection of scholarly output by researchers from the UNCST Community, including scholarly articles and books, electronic theses and dissertations, conference proceedings, journals, technical reports and digitised library collections. It is the official Institutional Archive (IA) of UNCST.
Copyright Information:
For information about the publishers' copyright policy on archiving your articles online or in an institutional archive, visit the Sherpa Site at http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo.php The site gives a summary of the permissions normally given as part of each publisher's copyright transfer agreement. If you wish to publish your research findings in the NRU, please contact NRU administrator at admin@uncst.go.ug for details. NRU operates both open access and closed access models. Access to fulltext has been restricted in adherence to the UNCST Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Copyrights policies.
Other Useful Resources:
Africa Portal is an online repository of open access library collection with over 3,000 books, journals, and digital documents on African policy issues. This is an initiative by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Makerere University (MAK), and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). Please visit the Africa Portal at http://www.africaportal.org/library.
Communities in NRU
Select a community to browse its collections.
- This community contains Open Access Books and Book Abstracts
- This community contains Ugandan Conference proceedings
- This community contains consolidated Ugandan Institutional Annual Research Reports on a broad range of subjects
- This community contains approved and running institutional repository policies from different research institutions
- This community contains Open access peer reviewed publications about Uganda and from Ugandan Researchers. The community has been classified to thematic research sub communities of Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Medical and Health Sciences, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences.
Recent Submissions
Malaria vector control in sub-Saharan Africa: complex trade-offs to combat the growing threat of insecticide resistance
(Elsevier Ltd, 2024-10) Oxborough, Richard M;; Chilito, Karen L Figueroa;; Tokponnon, Filemon ;; Messenger, Louisa A
Mass distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) has been a key factor in reducing malaria cases and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. A shortcoming has been the over-reliance on pyrethroid insecticides, with more than 2·13 billion pyrethroid ITNs (PY ITNs) distributed in the past two decades, leading to widespread pyrethroid resistance. Progressive changes are occurring, with increased deployment of more effective pyrethroid-chlorfenapyr (PY-CFP) or pyrethroid-piperonyl butoxide (PY-PBO) ITNs in areas of pyrethroid resistance. In 2023, PY-PBO ITNs accounted for 58% of all ITNs shipped to sub-Saharan Africa. PY-PBO and PY-CFP ITNs are 30-37% more expensive than standard PY ITNs, equating to an additional US$132-159 million required per year in sub-Saharan Africa to fund the shift to more effective ITNs. Several countries are withdrawing or scaling back indoor residual spraying (IRS) programmes to cover the shortfall, which is reflected by the number of structures sprayed by the US President's Malaria Initiative decreasing by 30% from 5·67 million (2021) to 3·96 million (2023). Benin, located in West Africa, is a prime example of a country that ceased IRS in 2021 after 14 years of annual spraying. Our economic evaluation indicates that IRS in Benin cost $3·50 per person protected per year, around five times more per person protected per year compared with PY-PBO ($0·73) or PY-CFP ITNs ($0·76). Although costly to implement, a major advantage of IRS is the portfolio of at least three chemical classes for prospective resistance management. With loss of synergy to PBO developing rapidly, there is the danger of over-reliance on PY-CFP ITNs. As gains in global malaria control continue to reverse each year, current WHO projections estimate that key 2030 malaria incidence milestones will be missed by a staggering 89%. This Personal View explores contemporary malaria vector control trends in sub-Saharan Africa and cost implications for improved disease control and resistance management.
MEDLINE
Associations between Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) andcommon native species in an African savanna
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2024-11) Ssali, Fredrick;; Baluku, Robert;; Drileyo, Gilbert ;; Muhumuza, Moses
Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) is recognised as a problematic invasive alien plant species in many parts of the world. To eradicate or control this global invader, we need to understand the drivers of its spread and impacts and the potential for native recovery after the invader has been removed. Here, we tested for species associations between L. camara and native plant species and large herbivores in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. We inventoried 40,100‐m 2 nested plots spread over a 1 × 1‐km grid cell in the park's savanna landscape, with 11 plots located in uninvaded areas. Most of the plots (30 of 40) had been affected by fire. Lantana camara covered 29 (73%) plots, 11 (38%) of which were in open grassland. Of the large herbivores that frequented areas free of L. camara , the Ugandan kob Adenota kob thomasi Sclater tended to avoid the areas invaded. The floristic composition of invaded areas differed significantly from that of noninvaded areas, with several palatable species rare or absent from L. camara ‐invaded areas. Practical implication : These observations indicate the presence of potential recovery constraints that will need to be overcome after L. camara has been removed. Sustained efforts will be needed to suppress the invader and subsequently enrich and bolster native recovery.
Now you see them, now you don’t: performance and the politics of localizing (forced) migration governance in the Horn of Africa’s secondary cities
(SAGE Publications, 2024-10) Kihato, Caroline Wanjiku;; Landau, Loren B
We critically examine a multi-year initiative led by Cities Alliance with municipalities and civil society groups in Somaliland, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia to respond to refugees and migration. Adapting Goffman’s work, we posit that in ambiguous and resource-scarce political environments, network success rests on supporting two “frontstages” and a shared “backstage”. On stage one, authorities “visibilize” refugees to attract funding and national support while shaping national-level norms. On stage two they make refugees “invisible” within their own development strategies, integrating displaced populations into urban planning through data collection, service investments, and inclusive strategies. In an experimental and collaborative backstage, municipal actors share resources and workshop varied scripts for their respective audiences. The initiative has lessened host–refugee tensions, strengthened municipal voices in national and regional policy fora, fostered local accountability, and created financial and bureaucratic resources better able to outlast the vagaries of humanitarian or emergency aid.
Opportunities and challenges of a community-based bull breeding programme: a case of the regional pastoral livelihood resilience project in Uganda
(2024-09-09) Ssekibaala, Gonzaga;; Ilukor, John;; Walusimbi, Sadhat
The Regional Pastoral Livelihood Resilience Project Community-Based Breeding Programme (CBBP) was designed with the objective of increasing production and productivity of local Zebu cattle by introducing Sahiwal bulls among sedentary and agro-pastoral livestock farmers. This study mapped out actors, their roles and level of influence in the CBBP as well as the opportunities and challenges encountered during its implementation using the Process Net-Map tool. The results revealed that there were differences in number and type of influential actors between sedentary and agro-pastoral livestock farmers. The bull host and subcounty veterinary officer were the most influential actors among the sedentary livestock farmers whereas it was the herdsman, bull host, and Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) among the agro-pastoral farmers. The CBBP was associated with benefits such as increased market value for cattle, reduced chances for cattle rustling, increased cattle productivity in terms of milk and beef production volumes and ease of access to veterinary services. In contrast, the challenges encountered were related to both governance (limited availability of veterinarians, cattle rustling, exclusion of farmers in the planning phase of the CBBP, political interference and failure of collective action) and bull management (high costs of keeping and maintaining the bulls in terms of feeding, housing, watering and veterinary care, heavy bulls injuring or breaking the small cows, sexually transmitted reproductive diseases among others). Lastly, this paper recommends adoption of a combination of well-organized and facilitated Artificial Insemination (AI) programmes alongside the improved bull service scheme as each has capacity to address the challenges of another.
Air pollution (PM2.5) and its meteorology predictors in Kampala and Jinja cities, in Uganda
(Royal society of chemistry, 2024-10) Alaran, Aishat Jumoke;; O'Sullivan, Natasha;; Tatah, Lambed ;; Sserunjogi, Richard;; Okello, Gabriel
Air pollution disproportionately affects African countries, including Uganda, but it is inadequately studied in these settings. The emergence of low-cost sensors offers an opportunity to improve routine air quality monitoring, assess interventions, and track progress. This study aimed to assess the spatiotemporal trends of PM 2.5 in Kampala and Jinja cities in Uganda, whilst exploring the influence of meteorological parameters on PM 2.5 . Calibrated PM 2.5 values and meteorological parameters for three years (2020 to 2022) were obtained from 58 local low-cost sensors and 6 weather stations. Hourly averages for PM 2.5 and meteorological data underwent necessary pre-processing, and various statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, time series trends, spatial variation, Spearman rank correlation, and multivariate regression, were performed. The multivariate linear regression with a gamma-link function was selected as the model with the best fit. The average annual PM 2.5 levels in Kampala and Jinja were 41.1 μg m −3 (±18.91 μg m −3 ) and 25.6 μg m −3 (±15.5 μg m −3 ), respectively, significantly exceeding the recommended World Health Organisation annual guideline values of 5 μg m −3 . Meteorological parameters exhibited varying degrees of relationships with PM 2.5 in both cities; multivariate regression indicated that meteorological factors could explain about 18% of the variation of PM 2.5 in Kampala and 7% in Jinja. Both cities experienced a decrease in PM 2.5 levels during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown with Kampala experiencing a 31% reduction (average decrease of 11.2 μg m −3 ) and Jinja a 17% reduction (average decrease of 3.8 μg m −3 ). This study provides insights into the air quality challenges faced by a rapidly urbanising city in sub-Saharan Africa, the promise of locally made low-cost sensors, and how meteorology influences local air pollution and lays the foundation for informed decision-making to safeguard public health and promote a sustainable environment. The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy initiatives to address air pollution in Uganda.