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.

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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.

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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.

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 10

Recent Submissions

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    English language skills as predictors of academic performance among Somali students in the HEC program at Islamic University in Uganda, Mbale, Uganda
    (Springer International Publishing, 2026-03-11)
    Gabow, Ahmed Absuge;
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    Mohamud, Ahmed Abdullahi
    This study examined the relationship between English language skills and the academic performance of Somali students in the Higher education certificate (HEC) program at the Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) Mbale, Uganda. English serves as the primary medium of instruction in Ugandan higher education; however, many Somali students enter the HEC program with limited English proficiency, which may hinder their academic success. Despite the growing enrollment of Somali students in regional universities, empirical evidence on how specific English language skills affect their academic performance remains scarce. Focusing on reading, listening, and writing skills as predictors of academic performance, this study employs a quantitative correlational design. Data were collected from a randomly selected sample of 119 Somali HEC students, using an English skills test and official Grade Point Average (GPA) records. The analysis used descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficients. The results showed statistically significant and moderate relationships between reading and writing skills and academic performance, whereas listening skills demonstrated a weaker but significant association. Writing skills have emerged as the strongest predictor of academic performance. These findings suggest that literacy-based competencies play a more decisive role than listening skills in shaping academic success in the HEC context. This study provides context-specific evidence on the differential impact of English language skills on academic outcomes among Somali students in a cross-border higher education setting. This underscores the gatekeeping role of reading and writing proficiency in English-medium preparatory programs. Accordingly, this study recommends targeted, skill-prioritized language support interventions, particularly in academic reading and writing, within preparatory and bridging programs to improve student performance and progression. ProQuest One Education
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    Land use, sowing structures, production of major crops and their implication on food security and sustainable livelihood between Uganda and Hungary for the period 2000–2019
    (BioMed Central, 2026-01-23)
    Abstract Background The relationship between shifts in agricultural land use, sowing structures, yield of major crops and food security necessitate studies to address today’s global challenges such as accelerating economic growthsustaining livelihoods as well as mitigating food insecurity and climate change. Land use changes and utilisation, and sowing structures directly influence both the availability and accessibility of food to the growing global population thus a need for sustainable strategies and policies aimed at addressing the need for adequate food. The contrasting temperate climate of Hungary and the tropical climate of Uganda leads to different land use categories, crop sowing structures, and production of major crops. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyse the land use, sowing patterns, and crop yield changes for the major industrial and food crops in Hungary and Uganda. Methods Databases such as Hungarian Central Statistical Office, the World Bank, and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, covering the period from 2000 to 2019 were the sources of the study data excluding the covid19 period and years later. The data were analysed using XLSTAT, while a trend analysis was performed using the Mann-Kendall test at a 95% confidence level (α = 0.05) using EVIEWS software. Land use and land cover (LULC) data from the archives of Uganda National Forest Authority (NFA) and Hungary satellite imagery from NASA EarthData and DIVA GIS was imported to ArcGIS pro for mapping. Results The trend analysis of the arable land area in both countries using the Mann-Kendall Test indicated a significant positive increase (P = 0.0001) with the model fit value of 85.59% for Hungary and 83.42% for Uganda. Hungary’s agricultural land use slightly declined by 9.3% compared to 19.5% increase of agriculture land use in Uganda. While forest land increased by 15.3% in Hungary, Uganda recorded a 41.9% forest loss to other land use forms. The sowing structures in Hungary remained relatively stable, with minor reductions in maize and wheat areas, while Uganda had a substantial increase in maize cultivation by 40%, offset by a 15.4% decrease in banana cultivation. Maize yields increased by 20% (Hungary) and 38.9% (Uganda), wheat yields increased by 10% in Hungary while banana yields declined by 30% in Uganda. Conclusions Our study has highlighted how sustainability is at risk where increasing agriculture land in Uganda comes at the expense of forest virgin high productive land while strategic sustainability policies of Hungary have converted less productive agricultural fields into forest cover. A need for increased awareness and implementation of available land policies, international and national policy frameworks and guidelines among private agricultural investors, communities, affected land users and financial institutions in Uganda would streamline land use.
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    Thermodynamic effects of gasoline on suction pump performance in tropical fuel stations: A field-calibrated CFD and statistical model
    (Elsevier B.V, 2026-07-12)
    Tokwiny, Charles Wawire;
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    Kasedde, Hillary;
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    Lubwama, Michael
    •Gasoline properties change between 15–40 °C under tropical field conditions.•Vapor pressure and viscosity are dominant drivers of suction pump instability.•Cavitation onset occurs beyond 30 °C, with NPSHa collapse and 59% efficiency.•Pump Performance Index (PPI) predicts cavitation and thermal efficiency loss.•PPI correlates strongly with NPSHa (r = 0.98) and vapor fraction (r = −0.97).•PPI enables real-time monitoring and predictive maintenance in tropical fuel stations. Suction pump fueling systems dominate Uganda’s downstream petroleum sector but face increasing reliability challenges under tropical thermal stress. In regions such as the Albertine Graben, where daytime temperatures often exceed 30 °C, gasoline properties shift significantly: density and viscosity decline, vapor pressure rises exponentially, and thermal conductivity remains nearly constant. These changes reduce Net Positive Suction Head Available (NPSHa), accelerate cavitation onset, and lower pump efficiency. To capture these effects, temperature-dependent property models were derived across the 15–40 °C range using 13 months of field-representative data from a commercial fueling station in Bulisa District. These models were implemented as user-defined functions within Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of a Gilbarco F210 suction pump, enabling evaluation of suction-side performance under tropical conditions. Regression and ANOVA analyses confirmed vapor pressure and viscosity as dominant drivers of instability, with density exerting secondary influence and conductivity a minor role. Based on these sensitivities, a dimensionless Pump Performance Index (PPI) was formulated, consolidating property trends into a predictive diagnostic metric. Validation against CFD outputs demonstrated strong correlations with NPSHa (r = 0.98), cavitation number (r = 0.97), efficiency (r = 0.96), and vapor fraction (r = −0.97), confirming predictive accuracy, and delineating three operational regimes: stable (≤25 °C), transition (∼30 °C), and critical (≥35 °C). The PPI provides a scalable tool for predictive maintenance, operational monitoring, and regulatory benchmarking, representing the first localized diagnostic framework for suction pump reliability in tropical fueling environments.
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    Comparison of different cleaning methods on photovoltaic module efficiency under controlled laterite dust deposition in Kampala Uganda
    (Springer Nature Singapore, 2026-07-30)
    Uzorka, Afam;
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    Kibirige, David;
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    Makumbi, David ;
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    Omar, Ali Mohamed
    Dust accumulation on photovoltaic (PV) modules is a major source of performance degradation in dusty environments, leading to reduced energy yield and increased operation and maintenance requirements. This study presents a comprehensive experimental evaluation of different PV cleaning methods under controlled and field-representative dusty conditions. A field-based experiment was conducted at a solar test site in Kampala, Uganda, using 15 identical 100 W monocrystalline silicon PV modules arranged in a triplicate design. Controlled laterite-based dust was applied at standardized densities of 10, 20, and 30 g/m 2 to simulate light, moderate, and heavy soiling conditions. Five cleaning strategies were investigated: no cleaning (control), manual brushing with water, mechanical wiping, automated robotic cleaning, and electrostatic cleaning. Module performance was monitored at 15-min intervals between 10:00 and 15:00 using calibrated irradiance, temperature, and current–voltage measurement systems. Each dust-level tests was repeated on 5 clear-sky days. Dust was characterized in terms of particle size distribution, morphology, and composition to support the interpretation of soiling behavior and cleaning effectiveness. Statistical analysis was conducted using two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey HSD post-hoc testing, and regression modeling, complemented by uncertainty propagation and effect size evaluation. In addition to instantaneous efficiency, cumulative energy yield was calculated to assess practical performance implications. The results show that PV efficiency decreases systematically with increasing dust density, with uncleaned modules exhibiting substantial performance losses. All cleaning methods significantly improved module efficiency relative to the control ( p  < 0.001). Automated robotic cleaning achieved the highest efficiency and energy yield across all dust levels, while electrostatic and mechanical cleaning demonstrated comparable intermediate performance. Manual cleaning provided moderate improvement but was limited by water and labor requirements. Regression analysis revealed a strong linear relationship between dust density and efficiency loss ( R 2  > 0.99), confirming the predictability of soiling effects. Techno-economic analysis further showed that while robotic cleaning offers the best technical performance, its economic viability depends on system scale and local cost conditions. This study provides a high-resolution, controlled, and statistically robust comparison of PV cleaning strategies in a dust-intensive urban environment. The findings offer practical and context-aware guidance for optimizing PV maintenance strategies, highlighting the importance of combining technical performance, resource efficiency, and economic considerations to enhance the reliability and sustainability of solar energy systems in dusty regions.
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    A One Health investigation of a Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever outbreak reveals high seropositivity in livestock in Lyantonde District, Uganda, 2024
    (Elsevier B.V, 2026-06-10)
    Nyakarahuka, Luke;
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    Mulei, Sophia;
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    Whitmer, Shannon L. ;
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    Mutesi, Joanita;
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    Baluku, Jimmy;
    In January 2024, an outbreak of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) was confirmed in Buyanja village, Lyantonde District, Uganda. Initially suspected to be anthrax, laboratory tests at the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) confirmed CCHF, prompting a One Health response. Five (5) human cases were confirmed through both Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction(RT-PCR) and IgM Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) testing, all of which were associated with direct contact with livestock, particularly goats. Among the twenty-six goats sampled, 88% (23/26) tested positive for CCHFV-specific IgG antibodies, indicating prior exposure. All the goat samples were negative by PCR, suggesting no active infection at the time of testing. Molecular sequencing revealed viral strains clustering in the Africa II clade, with multiple S-segment lineages circulating. These findings support localized virus persistence in Lyantonde area and highlight occupational exposure risks in Uganda's cattle corridor. Strengthening One Health surveillance with emphasis on veterinary services integration is critical to CCHF control.