Research Policy Briefs and Guidelines

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2016 General Elections: Vote 4 Education, Vote 4 Health
(2015) Nabwowe, Angella; Mncwabe, Nokukhanya
70 Year old Zaina Bakanansa, resident of Kyetume-Bukasa village, Nakisunga Sub- County Mukono District believes elections are just a waste of time. “ No Member of Parliament or Local Council Chairperson has made a difference in my life”, she says. Bakanansa’s need is to have a health facility in her village “ I am weak and sickly and unfortunately I cannot access a health facility. The private clinic close to my house is too expensive for me”. The Mukono Health centre IV or Nazigo health centre III which are public health facilities are quite a distance from her house, several kilometres away. Her only hope would be in voting leaders with a manifesto that addresses her concerns but she has been disappointed many times. “I have participated in national elections but I don’t see the benefits. When I have health needs , I call on a Non- Governmental Organisation to get help and they are always responsive.” The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda gives citizens like Zaina Bakanansa power, to elect the political leaders of the country every after five years. Very soon, Ugandans shall elect political leaders – from the local level to the President.
2021 General Elections: Voting for Quality Service Delivery
(Economic and Social Rights Advocacy (ESRA), 2020) Namusobya, Salima; Nabwowe Kasule, Angella; Mncwabe, Nokukhanya
The focus of this 12th issue of the Economic and Social Rights Advocacy (ESRA) Brief, produced by the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), has as its theme: 2021 General Elections: Voting for Quality Service Delivery. The publication of this ESRA Brief is timely, given that the current term of office for Uganda’s elected leaders expires on the 12th of May 2021. As has become customary, those contesting for different offices/positions will, over the next few months, be laser-focused on ensuring that they campaign successfully and get elected at the next polls scheduled from 10th January to 8th February 2021.1 This edition implicitly asks Ugandans to refrain from getting caught up in the frenetic energy of political campaigning and to critically assess the extent to which incumbent politicians and parties have delivered on the promises made in previous manifestos; whether and to what extent they have been held accountable for failing to deliver on their mandates; it asks citizens to consider the ways in which they may be complicit in entrenching an electoral system that prioritizes short-term patronage over long-term service delivery; and the electoral system itself is critiqued, in the light of the constraints Uganda faces within a global political and economic order, which has budgetary and policy implications for its ability to practically achieve the economic and social rights to which its citizens are entitled.
Absenteeism: Key Driver of Poor Performance in Primary Education
(UNICEF, 2016) UNICEF
With the introduction of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 1997, Government committed to provide free education to all children of primary school going age. Through the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Uganda further committed to ensure delivery of a full course of primary education to all children by 2015. According to the MDG 2015 report, notable gains attributed to UPE include increased enrollment, a general upsurge in primary school completion, and the elimination of gender disparities between girls’ and boys’ completion rates. Achievements notwithstanding, the efficiency of Uganda’s primary education is low - survival rate to P7 stands at 32.1%, repetition at 10.2% (EMIS, 2014), and teacher absenteeism is estimated at 20-30% (NPA, 2015).
Absorption and Implementation Constraint to Uganda’s National Development Plan (NDP)
(Economic Plicy Research Centre, 2017) Lakuma, Corti Paul; Lwanga, Musa Mayanja
Budget execution remains a challenge in Uganda. Weak budget disbursements, back-loaded spending procurement delay, inflexibility in budget execution and fiscal incapacity at local government level highlight ongoing challenges and raise a particular concern over the absorptive capacity and quality of budget implementation. To accelerate budget execution in Uganda, this policy brief suggest policy options that will lead to minimization of budget volatility, improvement in budget institutions, delegation and control, transparency and improving the capacity of local government
Accelerating Progress towards Achieving Productive Youth Employment and Decent Work
(Institute of Development Studies, 2017) Corbett, Hannah; Kilimani, Nicholas
Realising full, productive employment and decent work for all features prominently among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In many developing countries, especially in Africa and South Asia, youth constitute nearly a third of the population. Current projections suggest that a billion more young people will enter the job market over the next decade. Hence, issues of youth employment have risen up the political agenda at both international and national levels. Avenues for youth employment creation on a substantial scale must be sought as a matter of urgency. This will involve a re-evaluation of the different issues around labour demand and supply, in addition to rethinking how young people’s entrepreneurial spirit can be harnessed.
Access and Use of Credit in Uganda: Unlocking the Dilemma of Financing Small Holder Farmers
(Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), 2012) Munyambonera, Ezra; Nampewo, Dorothy; Adong, Annet; Mayanja, Musa
This policy brief is about access and use of credit in Uganda by small holder farmers. The brief uses the secondary data to shed light on the extent of the problem and further uses successful case studies in agricultural financing to demonstrate how improvements can be achieved. The major problem established from available information is that despite several agricultural financing initiatives and other reforms in the financial sector in the last 20 years, access to credit by small holder farmers in Uganda has remained very low in the region of about 10 percent. Examining the several agricultural financing initiatives since 1990s tends to suggest that the problem could largely be attributed to weak institutional framework and policy inconsistency on agricultural financing over the years, notwithstanding household demand factors. The key policy recommendation drawn from this assessment is that if agricultural financing is to improve, there is need to have strong institutional framework that focuses on financing frameworks, monitoring and implementation. A better option is for government to support the establishment of a rural or agricultural development bank that prioritises agricultural financing.
Access to education by children with special needs: What are the issues?
(Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit, 2019) Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 calls for “inclusive and quality education for all”. This is in line with Article 30 and 34 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (1995) which states that education for all children is a right. Uganda has enacted several disability-friendly laws, which include the: National Council on Disability Act 2003 (with additional amendments 2013); 2006 Disability Act; 2006 Equal Opportunities Commission Act 2006; 1997 Local Government Act, and the 1996 Children’s Statute 1996 (with amendments in 2016). A number of policies and policy guidelines such as the National Policy on Disability in Uganda (2006) also support interventions for persons with disabilities. An Information Paper from UNESCO (2018) however reveals that persons with disability are among the population groups most likely to suffer from exclusion from education. The policy brief explores the challenges constraining access to education by children with Special Needs (SN), and highlights good practices. The brief uses primary data collected by the Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit, secondary data, and proposes policy recommendations for improvement.
Access to Health Care Services. Experiences of Persons Living with Disabilities in Eastern and Northern Uganda
(Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit, 2019) Budget Monitoring and Accountability Unit
Over the last two decades, the Government of Uganda (GoU) has increased access to health services through various programmes and projects including investment in health infrastructure, medicines and other health supplies; and human resource development. Despite the investments, the desired universal health coverage is far from attainment as some sections of the population (persons with disabilities and or clients with special conditions) fail to have easy access to basic health care services. Article 25 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities (CRPD) states that Parties recognize that persons with disabilities have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability. It also states Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure access for persons with disabilities to health services that are gender-sensitive, including health-related rehabilitation. This briefing paper presents the experiences of persons living with disabilities while seeking health care from selected Health Center IVs (Mungula,Yumbe, Aboke, Kiyunga, Budondo, Busesa, Midigo) in Eastern and Northern Uganda. The issues identified in this paper are a proxy of the status of service delivery at all levels of care thus the proposed recommendations are aimed at addressing overall sector service delivery challenges.
Accountability In Public Private Partnerships (PPPs)
(Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER), 2017) Namusobya, Salima; Nabwowe, Angella; Nakulima, Saphina; Mugoya, Musa
In the discussions about Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) for provision of key social services, the justification, in both support for and opposition to the concept revolves mainly around accountability and risk management to ensure value for money. The essential question is whether the presumed efficiencies of the private sector are strong enough to override the concerns about social, democratic and financial accountability from private sector players. Consequently, most guidelines for best practices in framing and implementing PPPs place the need for strong institutional responsibilities and public participation in the governance high up on the priority list. The emphasis is that PPP arrangements should only be pursued when they represent the best value for money in delivering a service and not as ways to circumvent fiscal constraints.1 This also implies that accountability for any PPP project begins with the design, which should capture the various forms of safeguards to guarantee social justice and financial risk management.
Achieving Middle Income Status: What needs to be done
(National Planning Authority, 2018) National Planning Authority
Uganda aspires to attain a per capita income of USD 1,039 by 2020 as spelt out in the Second National Development Plan (NDPII). To achieve the middle-income target Uganda should sustain an average growth of above 10 percent in the remaining two and a half year period of NDPII. The reality is that this growth target cannot be achieved without a comprehensive economic transformation. As such, based on current trends the middle-income target cannot be achieved by 2020. Nevertheless, there are low hanging fruits that are within our national reach which if implemented efficiently, will fast track Uganda’s progress towards middle income status. This brief provides key highlights on technical guidance and policy direction on the attainment of middle income status as elaborated in NDPII. However, instead of providing the broad strategic direction already in NDPII, this brief unpacks the NDPII to provide micro/firm level low hanging implementable interventions for fast tracking progress to middle income target.
Achieving “No Net Loss” for people and biodiversity in Uganda
(NatureUganda, 2019) Uganda Poverty and Conservation Learning Group
Governments, businesses and financial institutions worldwide are increasingly adopting a ‘no net loss’ (NNL) approach to address impacts on biodiversity of development projects such as infrastructure development. This means ensuring that such impacts are measured and quantified, and that any biodiversity losses incurred are balanced by gains elsewhere so that there is no net loss of biodiversity overall (even if there may be a loss at the specific site of the project) and, ideally, a net gain. Uganda is taking great strides to address the biodiversity impacts of development projects. This includes updates to key policies to make provisions for NNL, including through use of biodiversity offsets. But now is the time to ensure that people, especially rural communities who depend on natural resources for subsistence, do not suffer as a result of NNL provisions. This policy brief reports on research conducted in Uganda to explore the biodiversity and social impacts of the Bujagali and Isimba hydropower projects and the associated Kalagala Offset, and suggests key steps that the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) c an take to improve outcomes for both biodiversity and local people from the offset, especially through the Kalagala Offset Sustainable Management Plan.
Addressing Gender Gaps in the Ugandan Labor Market
(Economic Policy Research Centre, 2011) Kasirye, Ibrahim
Four out of every five women in Uganda are employed in agriculture, according to the 2008 Gender and Productivity Survey (GPS) in Uganda (EPRC, 2009); and 42 percent of women in the labour force are unpaid family workers—receiving no income despite contributing the largest proportion of the agricultural labour. Gender discrimination in the labour market is a pervasive economic problem in developing countries.1 Discrimination based on sex can take many forms in the labour market—from restricted access to certain sectors of employment—to differential pay by gender. As earlier noted, whereas 42 percent of women in Uganda are unpaid family workers, the corresponding rate for men is only 16 percent according to the 2008 GPS. Furthermore, the 2008 GPS shows that in the private sector, women in Uganda receive on average lower pay than men. Gender gaps in the labour market do not only lead to reduced incomes for women but also affects the status of women within society. Nevertheless, gender norms continue to dictate what a woman can and cannot do in Uganda and whether she can work outside her marital home. This environment has ensured that female exploitation in the labour market persists. As such, there is a need to address gender equity in labour market in Uganda—especially as the country attempts to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Addressing Inequity and Discrimination in the Delivery of Health Services in Uganda
(Economic and Social Rights Advocacy (ESRA), 2014) Kwemoi, Charles
Health reports in Uganda are often characterized by aggregated statistical data showing progress on particular indicators such as maternal mortality, infant mortality, life expectancy, HIV/AIDS prevalence and so on. However, what the statistics fail to reveal are the individuals and groups of people excluded from the system, who are denied life saving services because of who they are or where they live. In applying a human rights perspective, it is imperative for policy makers to persistently peer behind the veil of lump-sum statistics and to test the universality and equitability of healthcare access and services. This is the second issue of the Economic and Social Rights Advocacy (ESRA) Brief published by the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights (ISER). The ESRA Brief is dedicated to Economic and Social Rights (ESRs) advocacy in Uganda but draws on key lessons from the broader East African Community. The Brief is intended for policy makers, civil society actors, development partners and the donor community as it provides insight into the debates and steps currently being undertaken by Ugandan organizations individually and collaboratively to achieve the full realization of ESRs.
Addressing regional disparities in access to child and maternal health services
(Economic Policy Research Centre, 2016) Ahaibwe, Gemma
Ensuring healthy lives through access to essential, affordable, quality health care for ‘all’ is the cornerstone of sustainable development and is what proponents of Universal Health Care (UHC) advocate for. Although Uganda has made some progress towards UHC, challenges remain with persistent inequality in access to maternal and child care services. Using the recently concluded MDG framework as an example, Uganda’s achievement on the various MDGS was mixed. A number of health related goals- which are of interest to this brief remained unachieved by the close of the September 2015 deadline; Uganda failed to reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio and narrowly missed target 4A that aimed to reduce the under-five mortality rate by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015.1 To date in Uganda, an estimated 16 women still die every day from preventable causes linked to pregnancy and child birth while approximately 90 per 1000 live births still die from preventable causes annually. Disaggregated analysis further reveals stark regional disparities in health outcomes; the PRDP region2 and in particular the Northern region continues to lag behind the rest of the country – hence pulling down national human development progress. As we embark on the journey towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 which call for ‘leaving no one behind”, there is a need to address binding constraints in such lagging areas. This brief unpacks the disparities in achievements in maternal and child related health outcomes for the PRDP region in comparison to the rest of the country and proposes reforms aimed at accelerating the movement towards universal health coverage.
Addressing the Poor Nutrition of Ugandan Children
(Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), 2012) Ssewanyana, Sarah; Kasirye, Ibrahim
One out of every three young children in Uganda are short for their age, according to the 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS); and the incidence of poor nutritional status is highest in the relatively better off sub region of South Western Uganda. Although poor child nutrition status is a pervasive global problem, it is mainly concentrated in a few developing countries. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 24 developing countries account for over 80 percent of the world’s 195 million children faced with stunting. Out of the 24 countries, at least 11 are from Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Furthermore, countries in SSA have made the least progress in reducing stunting rates—from 38% to 34% between 1990 and 2008—compared to a reduction of 40% to 29% for all developing countries. Uganda is among the developing countries with the largest population of stunted children—an estimated 2.4 million children aged less than 5 years in Uganda are stunted and this places the country at the rank of 14th—based on the ranking of countries with large populations of nutritionally challenged children
Addressing threats to biodiversity and ecosystems services in agricultural landscapes: Lessons from tobacco growing areas of Middle North - Uganda
(NatureUganda, 2015) Opige, Michael; Bataamba Muhweezi, Alex; Kisakye, Jonathan; Dhakal, Balram
There is increasing pressure on ecosystems across Uganda, mainly from growing population. Uganda’s population was about 2 million in 1900, rising to 4.8 million in 1950 and to 24.3 million in 2002 (UBOS, 2002) and it is now estimated at over 37 million (New Vision, June 23, 2013). The management of ecosystems and landscapes in the context of this increasing population requires a lot of planning for resource use and conservation yet there are inadequate extension services to help increase agricultural production per unit area while ensuring a healthy resource base (FAO, 2010). In particular, the northern region of Uganda which suffered from a civil war from 1985/6 to 2007 is facing rapidly increasing population after the return of stability. This has not only resulted into significant destruction of natural resources or biomass but has also put pressure on remaining natural resources.
Addressing Youth Unemployment in Uganda: The Inevitable Advice of the 21st Century
(Gateway Research Centre, 2020) Ssembajjwe, Ben
The issues raised in this policy brief provide a body of recommendations to policy makers including: the central government, local governments, curriculum developers, educationalists, and other policy implementers. It also highlights a clear vision on how the rampant youth unemployment in Uganda can be reduced. The aim is to improve the general welfare of the youths and their contribution towards Uganda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Adequacy and effectiveness of Uganda’s gambling regulatory framework
(Economic Policy Research Centre, 2016) Ahaibwe, Gemma; Lakuma, Corti Paul; Katunze, Miriam; Mawejje, Joseph
In light of the likely negative impacts of gambling, the industry needs to be strictly controlled, well regulated and effectively policed. Presently, the gambling industry is regulated by the National Lotteries Board (NLB) and is guided by the National Lotteries Act of 1967, the Gaming and Pool Betting (Control and Taxation) Act of 1968, and an addendum of statutory guidelines introduced in 2012/13. Findings from the desk review and key informant interviews reveal that many facets of the laws relating to lottery and gaming have become obsolete and are not sensitive to the new modes of gambling and the unprecedented growth of the industry. Furthermore, the National Lotteries Board (NLB) has substantial capacity problems and limited statutory powers and is not always able to effectively exercise its mandate herein inhibiting its ability to comprehensively regulate the gambling industry.
Adolescent motherhood and maternal deaths in Uganda
(Economic Policy Research Centre, 2020) Economic Policy Research Centre
Despite the reduction in the rate of maternal deaths during child birth over the past decade, Uganda’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR)remains high compared to other East African countries. At 375 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017, Uganda’s MMR is 51 percent more than that of Rwanda (248 deaths per 100,000 live birth). On the other hand, the major causes of maternal deaths during child birth in Uganda are preventable. Major drivers of maternal deaths include the high prevalence of teenage pregnancy and associated adolescent motherhood as well as inequitable distribution of health facilities across the country.
Advocacy For Affordable Malaria Diagnosis In Uganda
(HEPS, 2018) HEPS
Malaria is the biggest single cause of illness and death in Uganda. The country has the third highest number of malaria deaths and one of the highest reported malaria transmission rates in the world. Malaria accounts for 30%-50% of outpatient visits, 15%-20% of hospital admissions, and up to 20% of all hospital deaths. Overall about 16 million cases and about 10,500 deaths are reported per year. Early diagnosis and treatment of malaria reduces disease and prevents deaths. Accurate diagnosis is vital to good malaria case management. Testing makes treatment more effective; allows a health work to carry out further investigations on a patientwho tests negative; and plays a central role in combatting rising levels of resistance to anti-malarial medicines. It also contributes to reducing malaria transmission. The National Malaria Control Policy recommends that parasite-based diagnosis with microscopy or malaria rapid diagnostic test (mRDT) before treatment is performed for any suspected malaria cases. However, access to testing is still far from universal. An end-use verification (EUV) survey conducted in April 2016 by the US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) found that only 69% of the treated malaria cases received a diagnostic test – still lower than the 90% national target, but an improvement from the 2015 survey (61%). Malaria diagnosis in the public sector is in principle accessed free of charge, but in the private sector it accessed at a cost. A poll conducted by HEPS Uganda and Trac Fm among 3,200 listeners of eight FM radio stations spread in different parts of Uganda – conducted in January and February 2017 – showed that up to 24% of them do not test for malaria before treatment because of high prices of the test. In addition, the number of mRDT manufacturers and mRDT brands have increased rapidly over the past few years. These have led to different prices, which has created confusion among policy makers, service providers and service consumers alike and undermined access and confidence in making choices. High prices also result from the fact that some importers are – against policy – taxed. Others are not taxed, but make provision for taxes – which they the pass on to consumers in form of high prices for fear that future tax audits may require them to pay tax arrears.

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