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.

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.

Now showing 1 - 5 of 12

Books and Book Abstracts
This community contains Open Access Books and Book Abstracts
Conference Proceedings
This community contains Ugandan Conference proceedings
Institutional Annual Research Reports
This community contains consolidated Ugandan Institutional Annual Research Reports on a broad range of subjects
Institutional Repository Policies
This community contains approved and running institutional repository policies from different research institutions
IT DevOps Communinity
IT DevOps Community

Recent Submissions

Factors influencing obstetric referral decisions and practices: A qualitative study among skilled health personnel in Kampala, Uganda
(Elsevier Ltd, 2026-05-11)
Birabwa, Catherine;
;
Waiswa, Peter;
;
Beňová, Lenka ;
;
Kikula, Amani;
;
Molenaar, Jil;
Effective referral is crucial for maternal and perinatal survival. Understanding the referral decision-making processes and practices of skilled health personnel (SHP) is essential for addressing inefficiencies and improving health outcomes. We explored inter-facility referral linkages and factors influencing obstetric referral decisions and practices, using a behavioural approach and drawing on SHP’s perceptions. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 45 SHP working in Kampala, Uganda, between October 2023 and April 2024. We employed a thematic and framework analysis approach, using the capability, opportunity, motivation, and behaviour model to examine factors influencing referral decisions and practices. Referrals of women with obstetric complications from all levels of care were commonly directed to the National Referral Hospital. These referral linkages were influenced by factors such as proximity, the hospital’s acceptance of patients, and perceptions of lack of readiness at designated receiving facilities. Resource shortages, including the absence of critical staff and inadequate infrastructure, such as limited operating theatre space and unavailability of ambulances, commonly contributed to referrals and hindered SHP from implementing recommended referral practices, such as professional accompaniment. Additionally, SHP faced several demotivating process challenges during referrals, including lengthy patient handover processes at receiving facilities and negative or disrespectful interactions with colleagues. Our findings show that SHP in Kampala are unable to implement recommended referral practices as expected primarily due to insufficient physical opportunities, which also affect their motivation. Inadequate resources and negative or disrespectful provider conduct remain key challenges. Policymakers and implementers should improve resource availability, streamline referral processes, and enhance collaboration among SHP to facilitate appropriate referrals. [Display omitted] •Obstetric referrals are primarily directed to one referral hospital.•Structural, normative, and functionality factors influence the referral destination.•Opportunities for providers to refer appropriately are limited.•Process-related challenges demotivate providers from referring appropriately.•Resource shortages are key drivers of poor provider referral practices. Subjects
The mastery of entrepreneurial project execution in social enterprises in Uganda: a path to sustainable development in rural Africa
(Springer Nature Singapore, 2026-04-09)
Bilgili, Faik;
;
Garang, Aweng Peter Majok;
;
Kassouri, Yacouba ;
;
Kuşkaya, Sevda
Abstract This paper evaluates the feasibility of the proposed East African Monetary Union (EAMU) by examining the effectiveness of monetary transmission mechanisms (MTMs) in the region. This study aims to determine how composite and idiosyncratic shocks propagate within the East Africa Community (EAC) and assess how smaller countries respond to shocks originating from Kenya, the largest economy in the region. We employ panel structural vector autoregression methodology to explore the short- and long-term effects of the dynamics of monetary transmission mechanisms in East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan) from 1980 to 2018. Our empirical results prove that in the short run, (i) the contemporaneous response of the interest rate to the output gap shock is positive, (ii) the immediate response of the inflation rate to the output gap shock is negative, and (iii) the response of the inflation rate to the interest rate shock is negative. In the long run, (i) the response of the exchange rate to output gap shock is negative, (ii) the response of the inflation rate to output gap shock is negative, (iii) the response of interest rate to exchange rate shock is positive, (iv) the response of inflation rate to exchange rate shock is negative, and (v) the response of inflation rate to interest rate shock is negative. Overall, these findings shed light on the dynamics of monetary transmission mechanisms in East African countries. The study highlights the short- and long-term effects of various shocks on key macroeconomic variables, such as interest rates, inflation, and exchange rates. These findings have important implications for policymakers, as they seek to stabilize the economy, foster sustainable growth, and fulfill their monetary policy objectives.
Evaluating the transition to the east african monetary union through monetary transmission mechanisms
(Springer Nature Singapore, 2026-04-09)
Bilgili, Faik;
;
Garang, Aweng Peter Majok;
;
Kassouri, Yacouba ;
;
Kuşkaya, Sevda
Abstract This paper evaluates the feasibility of the proposed East African Monetary Union (EAMU) by examining the effectiveness of monetary transmission mechanisms (MTMs) in the region. This study aims to determine how composite and idiosyncratic shocks propagate within the East Africa Community (EAC) and assess how smaller countries respond to shocks originating from Kenya, the largest economy in the region. We employ panel structural vector autoregression methodology to explore the short- and long-term effects of the dynamics of monetary transmission mechanisms in East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Sudan) from 1980 to 2018. Our empirical results prove that in the short run, (i) the contemporaneous response of the interest rate to the output gap shock is positive, (ii) the immediate response of the inflation rate to the output gap shock is negative, and (iii) the response of the inflation rate to the interest rate shock is negative. In the long run, (i) the response of the exchange rate to output gap shock is negative, (ii) the response of the inflation rate to output gap shock is negative, (iii) the response of interest rate to exchange rate shock is positive, (iv) the response of inflation rate to exchange rate shock is negative, and (v) the response of inflation rate to interest rate shock is negative. Overall, these findings shed light on the dynamics of monetary transmission mechanisms in East African countries. The study highlights the short- and long-term effects of various shocks on key macroeconomic variables, such as interest rates, inflation, and exchange rates. These findings have important implications for policymakers, as they seek to stabilize the economy, foster sustainable growth, and fulfill their monetary policy objectives.
Harnessing AI in renewable energy systems: driving environmental and socio-economic transformation
(Springer International Publishing, 2026-01-09)
M. M. Mundu;
;
Mariam Basajja;
;
Emmanuel Kweyu;
;
V. S. Manjula;
;
Daniel Ejim Uti
The rapid expansion of renewable energy systems has intensified interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for improving forecasting, optimisation, and operational reliability. Yet despite growing technical advances, existing reviews focus narrowly on algorithmic performance and rarely integrate environmental, socio-economic, and governance dimensions, issues that are especially critical for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where data scarcity and institutional capacity constraints shape deployment outcomes. This creates an incomplete understanding of the opportunities and risks associated with AI-enabled renewable energy transitions. This study conducts a systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, to synthesise evidence across four domains: technical integration, environmental impacts, socio-economic implications, and governance considerations. The review examines 113 studies spanning solar, wind, microgrids, storage management, and predictive maintenance. Findings show that while AI can enhance forecasting accuracy and system efficiency, these benefits are highly context-dependent and often derived from simulations rather than field deployments. The literature reveals underexplored risks, including the computational energy footprint of AI models, limited transferability to data-scarce regions, potential reinforcement of inequality in LMIC, and increasing concentration of technological power in corporate actors. Based on these, the paper proposes a cross-sectoral framework for responsible AI adoption in renewable energy and outlines priority actions for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. These include rigorous reporting of model uncertainty and lifecycle impacts, strengthening data governance and local capacity, and validating AI tools in real-world low-resource contexts. The review concludes that AI can support sustainable energy transitions only when deployed within robust technical, institutional, and equity-oriented governance systems.
Beyond gender-blind climate action: a participatory framework for inclusive climate-smart agriculture
(Emerald Publishing, 2025-12-12)
Zijun Shen;
;
Tufa Chen;
;
Huang Liu
Abstract PurposeThe purpose of this study aims to identify gender-differentiated climate risks and access to resources; participatory rank of CSA practices by gender and agro-ecology; and link priorities to economic indicators to be scaled to action.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used the Climate Risk and Vulnerability (CRV) appraisal, which is a combination of participatory rural appraisal (PRA), rapid rural appraisal (RRA), focus groups and household survey, in Gulu, Uganda (n = 50 households) and Kilolo, Tanzania (n = 50 households) between March and October 2014.FindingsThis data is then subjected to extensive analysis, triangulation and validity. When applied to data from Tanzania and Uganda, the CRV shows that various social groupings (based on gender) and agricultural ecological regions exhibit varied levels of vulnerability, restrictions and CSA goals at different locations. Stakeholders may target and execute CSA while simultaneously considering biophysical, social and economic problems through the CRV.Originality/valueResource mapping, climate and historical calendars, cropping calendars, organization mapping, transect walks, key informant interviews, farmer interviews and a pairwise ranking matrix are all part of the CRV methodology, which integrates frequent PRA and RRA instruments into a single system that separates the gender scale.