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.

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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 12

Recent Submissions

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    Exploring community perceptions of gender roles as a predisposing factorin schistosomiasis infection in southwestern Uganda
    (Taylor & Francis Group, 2026-05-03)
    Mugabi, Faith;
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    Anyolitho, Maxson Kenneth;
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    Huyse, Tine ;
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    Kemigisha, Elizabeth;
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    Nyakato, Viola Nilah
    Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, affects people of all genders and ages.However, few studies have examined how communities in endemic areas perceivegender roles as factors influencing infection and control. This study explored theperceptions of farming (Kyaterekera) and fishing (Ndaiga) communities along LakeAlbert in Uganda's Kagadi District regarding gender roles and their role in schistosomi-asis infection. Using an ethnographic design, we conducted 10 key informant interviewsand 18 focus group discussions with 150 participants. Data were analysed thematically.Participants from both settings recognised that gender roles influence infection riskdifferently for men and women. Societal expectations and gender stereotypes wereseen as contributing factors. Farming men often perceived bilharzia as a lake-side issue.Drug side effects were a shared concern, but women in fishing communities preferredusing herbs and prayers, while men favoured hospital visits. Gender roles and percep-tions of schistosomiasis risk vary by gender and location. Common themes includesocietal expectations, stereotypes and concerns about treatment. Gender-specific inter-ventions, such as gender-sensitive campaigns and inclusive decision-making, couldhelp effectively control the disease.
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    Pedology and its relationship to cropping decisions in Kamuli District, Uganda
    (Wiley, 2026-04-25)
    Francis Akitwine;
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    Amber D. Anderson;
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    Nicola L. Timbas;
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    Matthew T. Streeter;
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    Shillah Kwikiiriza;
    Kamuli District offers an opportunity to understand pedology and cropping decisions in an area that has been underdocumented. Broad, flat summits and narrow convex shoulders are composed of residuum formed from Precambrian granite. Valleys mirror the summits, that is, broad flats composed of alluvium that are rimmed by narrow concave toeslopes. The alluvial landscape is a mix of Holocene terraces and modern floodplains. Gentle, linear backslopes gently merge into footslopes connecting the summits and valleys. These positions are composed of residuum-derived colluvium. These geologic and geomorphic differences create a systematic soil landscape pattern with Oxisols predominating on summits and shoulders, Ultisols predominating on the backslopes and footslopes, and Alfisols predominating across the valleys. The backslopes are more intensively cultivated compared to the summits and valleys. A comparison between cultivated and uncultivated areas revealed a dynamic relationship dependent on landscape position and human impacts. Critical human impacts include upland erosion, declining soil organic matter content, available phosphorus, total nitrogen, and exchangeable bases. Each of these appears to be gradually diminishing soil function, which has dire implications for future food security in Kamuli District.
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    Disentangling Inequality and Exploitation in the Rice Value Chain in Northern Uganda
    (Department of Social Science and Business, Roskilde University, Roskilde, Denmark, 2026-04-20)
    Nystrand, Malin J.
    Although inequality between actors in agricultural value chains has been extensively studied, informal and semiformal arrangements in domestic value chains involving small‐scale actors have been explored less than formal arrangements involving large firms. This study contributes to this literature, firstly, by suggesting a novel analytical framework for analysing inequality and exploitation and the agency of actors within an unequal value‐chain relationship; and secondly, by applying it to the relationship between rice millers and rice farmers in Gulu in northern Uganda, i.e., to one node in a larger rice value chain. This study explores this relationship in a situation of high levels of competition between millers, potentially strengthening farmers' bargaining power. The form and degree of inequality and exploitation in the relationship are analytically disentangled by applying the analytical framework, combining Graeber's conceptualization of exchange and hierarchy with Snyder's definitions of exploitation. The study shows that, although the relationship is still characterized by inequality and has exploitative features, farmers can and do exit from the relationship. CrossRef
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    Land, informal employment, and fertility preferences in rural southwestern Uganda: A qualitative study
    (Taylor & Francis Group, 2026-05-18)
    Atahigwa, Catherine;
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    Coene, Gily;
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    Neema Murembe, Clementia ;
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    Lafaut, Dirk
    Abstract Land and informal work remain central to rural livelihoods in Uganda, yet their role in shaping fertility preferences is not well understood. This qualitative study examined how land ownership and informal livelihoods influence men’s and women’s fertility decision-making in rural southwestern Uganda. We conducted 15 focus group discussions and 30 in-depth interviews with women (18–49) and men (18–54) of reproductive age in Rubirizi district. Interviews were conducted in the local language, audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, and thematically analyzed. Findings show that participants often linked land ownership to men’s preferences for large families, grounded in lineage continuity, provision, and social standing, even as land availability declined. Women described limited land rights under customary tenure as constraining their economic security and bargaining space in fertility-related decisions. Informal livelihoods were portrayed as enabling household survival, but were financially unstable, shaping many women’s preferences for smaller families, while limiting their ability to act on these preferences. This study highlights how participants described land relations and livelihood insecurity as gendered influences on the formation and negotiation of fertility preferences in agrarian settings.
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    Determinants of pass-through of international oil prices to domesticconsumer fuel prices: evidence from Uganda
    (The Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania, 2026-05-04)
    Isaac Peter OTAI;
    ;
    Barbara Deborah Erima BIRUNGI
    Debtor management is a critical determinant of the financial health of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study examined the effect of debtor management on the financial performance of hardware SMEs in Mukono, Uganda. Using Yamane’s (1967) formula at a 95% confidence level, a representative sample of 55 SMEs was determined. A stratified random sampling technique was employed to ensure coverage across municipality divisions, with a proportionate selection of respondents. Using a descriptive and correlational design, data was collected from owners, managers, and accounts staff through structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive and regression techniques. Findings revealed that debtors’ management practices (debt collection practices and debtors turnover) positively and significantly influence financial performance (liquidity and profitability). The study concludes that effective debtor management enhances financial performance and sustainability in the hardware sector. It recommends that SMEs strengthen credit policies, adopt robust collection mechanisms, and train staff in receivables management to improve performance.