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 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 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
Potential markets and policies for sustainable liquid biofuel production with emphasis to Eastern Africa countries: a review
(Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2024-01-02) Miftah, Fekadu K; Mutta, Doris
BackgroundThe production of liquid biofuel in Eastern Africa countries has the potential to play an important role on the global biofuel markets in the coming years, because transportation fuel demand is expected to grow. Despite the presence of suitable environmental conditions for bioenergy crop cultivation in Eastern Africa, liquid biofuel production has been restricted by different factors, including market situation and government policies. The objective of this review is to evaluate the potential markets, policies, strategies, and plans for liquid biofuel production in some Eastern Africa countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.Main textOver 64 scientific articles and reports published between 2002 and 2023 related to liquid biofuel production market and policies were collected from internet search engines and unpublished grey literatures and reviewed. Since liquid biofuel production was in early stage of investment in Eastern Africa countries by 2020, all the countries showed similar restrictions. It was found that the global market demand for liquid biofuel increased after 1980s. For example, although Ethiopia started bioethanol production in 1950s, the production was discouraged by the lack of a market. Biofuel trade is globally determined by the biofuel policies of industrialized countries, which are mainly driven by the willingness to reduce emissions and to tackle volatile fossil fuel prices. Eastern Africa liquid biofuels has a number of market openings, including rural domestic use, substituting fossil fuel imports, and supplying the European market. There are also attractive legal conditions and political willingness to invest in the production of liquid biofuels. However, institutional weaknesses hindered the possibility to coordinate liquid biofuel production. The lack of adequate domestic institutions, coordination mechanisms, and robust monitoring resulted in land-use conflicts, corruption, and technical challenges. Appropriate policy measures are required to local land use determination, selection of appropriate type of bioenergy crops, and biofuel processing types and scales. In particular, small and large-scale biofuel production projects are required to include biofuel production in the conventional agricultural farming practices.ConclusionsGood governance is highly important for bioenergy crop production, liquid biofuel processing and consumption in the whole liquid biofuel value chain. Moreover, it is important to exchange good practices through cooperation, including—but not limited to—intra-African countries, which would accelerate the learning process and the deployment of effective measures and mechanisms. There should be biofuel value chain upgrading to overcome fragmentation and inconsistency of measures; match-making between demand and supply at domestic, intra-African, and internationally with proper public awareness creation.
Publicly Available Content Database
EEG background activity, seizure burden and early childhood outcomes in neonatal encephalopathy in Uganda: a prospective feasibility cohort study
(Elsevier B.V, 2024-12) Mathieson, Sean R.; Nanyunja, Carol; Sadoo, Samantha; Nakalembe, Sherinah; Duckworth, Eleanor; Muryasingura, Stella; Niombi, Natalia; Proietti, Jacopo; Busingye, Mariam; Nakimuli, Annettee; Livingstone, Vicki; Webb, Emily L.; Mambule, Ivan; Boylan, Geraldine B.; Tann, Cally J.
ntrapartum-related neonatal encephalopathy (NE) is a leading cause of childhood mortality and morbidity. Continuous electroencephalography (EEG) is gold standard for neonatal brain monitoring; however, low-income country data is lacking. We examined EEG in a Ugandan cohort with NE to describe feasibility, background activity, seizure prevalence and burden, and associations with clinical presentation and outcome. Neonates with NE were recruited from a single hospital referral centre in Kampala, Uganda (Oct 2019–Oct 2020) and underwent EEG monitoring. Feasibility was assessed as to whether EEG monitoring of diagnostic quality could be achieved from days 1–5. Evolution of clinical presentation was assessed by Sarnat classification and daily Thompson score was performed. EEG background severity was graded at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after birth, and at time of Thompson score. Seizures were annotated remotely by experts and assessed for frequency, duration, burden, and status epilepticus. Early childhood outcome was assessed at follow up, and adverse outcome defined as death or neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI) at 18–24 months of age. In this prospective feasibility cohort study, diagnostic quality EEGs were recorded for 50 of 51 recruited neonates (median duration 71.4 h, IQR 52.4–72.2), indicating feasibility. Of 39 participants followed to 18–24 months, 13 died and 7 had NDI. Daily Thompson score and EEG background grade were strongly correlated across all timepoints (days 1–5). Thompson score of ≥7 was most predictive of moderate-severe EEG background abnormality (AUC 0.83). Prognostic accuracy of moderate-severe EEG background grade to predict NDI was high (AUC 0.74). Electrographic seizures were seen in 52% (26); median seizure burden was high at 264 min (IQR 27.8–523.7, range 1.3–1374.1); half (13) had status epilepticus. EEG monitoring was feasible as a research tool in this sub-Saharan Africa setting. EEG background activity correlated strongly with scored neurological assessment and predicted adverse early childhood outcome. Seizure prevalence and burden, including status epilepticus, were high in this uncooled cohort with important potential longer-term implications for survivors. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant number OPP1210890; Wellcome Trust Innovator award (209325/Z/17/Z).
Mobilizing Evidence-based Knowledge for Sustainable Wetlands Co-management and Co-governance amidst increasing Anthropogenic and Environmental Stressors: Key Lessons from Mityana District, Uganda
(Elsevier B.V, 2024-12) Matovu, Baker; Lee, Ming-An; Mammel, Mubarak; Lukambagire, Isaac; Lutalo, Bernard; Mwangu, Alex Ronald; Mwabvu, Bridget; Mim, Tahmina Akther; Bbira, Yasin; Lubega, Yasin; Muhoozi, Yosia
Wetlands (covering about 1.5–1.6 billion hectares globally), are critical biodiversity and livelihood hotspots. Wetlands further replenish the global economy with $47.4 trillion/year worth of ecosystem services. By jealously guarding wetlands, progress toward sustainable development goals, and livelihood welfare are possible. Unfortunately, despite the promulgation of wetland governance mechanisms, 35 percent of the global natural wetlands have been lost since the 1970s. This could be worse in undocumented or explored wetland zones situated in remote tropical regions. In this study, we bring to the fore insights from 286 documents sourced from Scopus and engagements from 105 citizens in Mityana, to (i) map wetlands (including the current vulnerabilities and threats), and (ii) co-develop a wetlands management action pathway that could create sustainable co-management possibilities and sustainable livelihood futures. Findings revealed that although research on wetlands has increased for the last 31 years, since 2021, it has plummeted. In Uganda, wetland research and scholarship is predominantly situated around the Lake Victoria region. Most research focuses on natural or biological sciences. Emerging policy themes and trending research topics are shifting from key wetland management paradigms. From a total of 105 sampled wetlands scattered across fourteen (14) sub-counties in the Mityana district, critical wetland issues were unraveled. Mityana is crossed by two wetland systems (Lake Wamala and River Mayanja dominated by permanent papyrus and seasonal swamps respectively. Wetlands offer unique livelihood, cultural assets/capitals, and ecological benefits (including cultural/aesthetics meaning). An unfathomable rate of degradation is evident. Anthropogenic factors are the predominant threat drivers, especially eucalyptus planting. The loss of culturally valuable wetlands has increased socio-cultural-ecological grief, such as around Lake Wamala. Micro-level management actions are increasing, albeit mainly around accessible permanent wetlands. Most riparian wetland sedentary populations expressed willingness and interest in the co-management and governance of community wetlands. More robust actions and pathways are needed to create avenues for community co-management. The co-developed the sustainable wetlands management action pathway (SWeMAP) provides seven (7) coherent steps, including critical social science insights that could aid sustainable wetlands governance and management across geographies. As wetlands in Uganda have been gazetted as critical to sustainable development, the urgent co-development and financing of micro-level wetland action plans, including situational inventories could help create avenues for sustainable wetlands management.
Assessing scale reliability in citizen science motivational research: lessons learned from two case studies in Uganda
(Palgrave Macmillan, 2024-12) Ashepet, Mercy Gloria; Vranken, Liesbet; Michellier, Caroline; Dewitte, Olivier; Mutyebere, Rodgers; Kabaseke, Clovis; Twongyirwe, Ronald; Kanyiginya, Violet; Kagoro-Rugunda, Grace; Huyse, Tine; Jacobs, Liesbet
Citizen science (CS) is gaining global recognition for its potential to democratize and boost scientific research. As such, understanding why people contribute their time, energy, and skills to CS and why they (dis)continue their involvement is crucial. While several CS studies draw from existing theoretical frameworks in the psychology and volunteering fields to understand motivations, adapting these frameworks to CS research is still lagging and applications in the Global South remain limited. Here we investigated the reliability of two commonly applied psychometric tests, the Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), to understand participant motivations and behaviour, in two CS networks in southwest Uganda, one addressing snail-borne diseases and another focused on natural hazards. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered to the CS participants and a control group that consisted of candidate citizen scientists, under group and individual interview settings. Cronbach’s alpha, as an a priori measure of reliability, indicated moderate to low reliability for the VFI and TPB factors per CS network per interview setting. With evidence of highly skewed distributions, non-unidimensional data, correlated errors and lack of tau-equivalence, alpha’s underlying assumptions were often violated. More robust measures, McDonald’s omega and Greatest lower bound, generally showed higher reliability but confirmed overall patterns with VFI factors systematically scoring higher, and some TPB factors—perceived behavioural control, intention, self-identity, and moral obligation—scoring lower. Metadata analysis revealed that most problematic items often had weak item–total correlations. We propose that alpha should not be reported blindly without paying heed to the nature of the test, the assumptions, and the items comprising it. Additionally, we recommend caution when adopting existing theoretical frameworks to CS research and propose the development and validation of context-specific psychometric tests tailored to the unique CS landscape, especially for the Global South.
Publicly Available Content Database
Integrated modelling of the determinants of household food insecurity during the 2020– 2021 COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda
(BioMed Central, 2024-11) Semakula, Henry Musoke; Liang, Song; McKune, Sarah Lindley; Mukwaya, Paul Isolo; Mugagga, Frank; Nseka, Denis; Wasswa, Hannington; Kayima, Patrick; Achuu, Simon Peter; Mwendwa, Patrick; Nakato, Jovia
Background-The determinants of household food insecurity (HFI) do not act in isolation, and are known to be complex, stochastic, nonlinear, and multidimensional. Despite this being especially true in periods of shocks, studies that focus on integrated modelling of the HFI determinants during the COVID-19 lockdown are scarce, with no available evidence on Uganda. The main objective of this study was to develop Bayesian belief network (BBN) models to analyse, rank, and illustrate the conceptual reasoning, and complex causal relationships among the determinants of HFI during the COVID-19 lockdown. This study was based on seven rounds of Uganda’s High-Frequency Phone Surveys data sets collected during the lockdown. A total of 15,032 households, 17 independent determinants of HFI, and 8 food security indicators were used in this study. Metrics of sensitivity, and prediction performance were used to evaluate models’ accuracy.ResultsEight BBN models were developed for each food insecurity indicator. The accuracy rates of the models ranged between 70.5% and 93.5%, with an average accuracy rate of 78.5%, indicating excellent predictive performance in identifying the determinants of HFI correctly. Our results revealed that approximately 42.2% of the sampled households (n = 15,032) in Uganda were worried about not having enough food. An estimated 25.2% of the respondents reported skipping a meal, while 32.1% reported consuming less food. Less than 20% of the households experienced food shortage, hunger, or having nothing to eat. Overall, 30.6% of the households were food insecure during the lockdown. The top five ranked determinants of HFI were identified as follows: (1) households’ inability to produce enough food; (2) households’ inability to buy food; (3) reduced household income; (4) limited cash assistance, and (5) households’ inability to stock adequate food supplies.ConclusionsRanking, rather than the statistical significance of the determinants of HFI, is crucial as an approach to applied research, as it helps stakeholders determine how to allocate resources for targeted interventions within the constraints of limited funding. These findings emphasize the importance of intervening on the most highly ranked determinants of HFI to enhance the resilience of local food systems, and households’ capacity to cope with recurring and unforeseen shocks.
Agricultural Science Database