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Item Opposition party institutionalisation in authoritarian settings: the case of Uganda(Commonwealth & Comparative Politics, 2024-05-19) Bertrand, Eloïse; Mutyaba, MichaelThis article analyses the process of institutionalisation among Ugandan opposition parties and highlights the tensions at play between party institutionalisation and broader party goals in authoritarian settings. Based upon qualitative research conducted between 2016 and 2023, we offer a historical analysis of the steps towards institutionalisation – understood as a process, rather than a state – taken by two Ugandan parties: the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and the Democratic Party (DP). Uganda features historical parties such as the DP that were severely weakened by the ‘Movement era’ but endured despite losing ground, and newer opposition forces, such as the FDC, that proved relatively stronger despite being divided over the question of building party structures, thus providing an interesting case study. Ultimately, this article demonstrates the complex, and at times conflicting, implications of institutionalisation for opposition parties’ ability to achieve their objectives in an authoritarian regime.Item An econometric analysis of modernized cereal production in reducing multidimensional poverty in Uganda, 1975-2014(Emerald, 2021-06-21) Emong, Herbert RobertPurpose This study aims to develop an econometric analysis of how modern agriculture can be a fundamental instrument for reducing the levels of multidimensional poverty in Uganda. It demonstrates the importance of agriculture in reducing inequalities amongst the poor while focusing on the relationship between increasing productions from modern agricultural practices and the poverty level across the country. Design/methodology/approach The study explores Box–Jenkins approach to cereal production data with the use of econometric analysis as the main tool to determine the implications of modern agricultural practices in Uganda. Most poor people around the world are in marginalized rural environments, and agriculture provides for their livelihoods. This makes agricultural development crucial for reducing multidimensional poverty on a large scale and needs development within agriculture to be enhanced. Education, health and standard of living are the three dimensions considered from the weighted indicators, amounting to 30%, to be categorized poor in the three dimensions. Findings Modernization of agriculture is an ultimate solution to multidimensional poverty reduction in Uganda through employment generation and the effects of food prices. Shreds of evidence support the theories that agricultural incomes together with the actual wages increase with a general rise in the rural non-agricultural economy. Results depict a close correlation between national income and GDP per capita which is a very significant indication that more application of agricultural technology would lead to a sub sequential improvement of livelihoods engaged in agricultural practices. Originality/value Agriculture remains a vital sector that employs a greater portion of the population in Uganda’s economy. Major roles have been played by the sector in the economy including employment opportunities, rural household incomes, food supplies and a reduction in poverty from a multidimensional front. Exploring the behavior of poverty level using modern agriculture as an indicator and its relationship with the poverty level arising from improved agricultural practices could provide a meaningful display of variation in poverty across the regions at the country level.Item The contribution of tourism on GDP growth and sustainable tourism development in Africa(Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2025-05-14) Seraj, Mehdi;; Ike, Oliver Chika;; Ozdeser, HuseyinAbstract Several African nations actively pursue economic diversification and sustainable development by promoting tourism. Given this, the study aims to thoroughly analyze the contribution of tourism to the GDP growth of six African Nations, specifically Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tunisia, and Uganda, utilizing data from the World Bank Development Indicator spanning from 1999 to 2020. The study employed the Method of Moment Quantile Regression (MMQR) for the analysis and found that despite the prevailing assumptions of the tourism-led hypothesis and the emerging literature emphasizing the potential influence of tourism on GDP growth. The empirical findings of Westerlund’s (OBES 69:709–748, 2007) cointegration test indicate a lack of a statistically significant long-term relationship between tourism and GDP growth at 1% and 5% significance levels. However, there is an indication of a potential relationship at the 10% significance level, contingent upon the implementation of appropriate policies by the countries. Notably, this underscores the importance of promoting policies that stimulate the Keynesian multiplier effect. Additionally, the MMQR output suggests that policymakers should prioritize policies aimed at increasing Foreign Direct Investment to support the identified tendencies. This academic analysis provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between tourism and GDP growth in these African countries, highlighting important implications for policymaking and economic development strategies.Item Financial inclusion for economic sustainability: a systems thinking approach(Springer International Publishing, 2025-06-02) Mungar-Jackpersad, Aviksha;; Telukdarie, Arnesh;; Tshukudu, ChristianAbstract Financial inclusion remains a global concern due to the intricate interdependencies among various influencing factors. This research adopts a systems thinking framework to analyse these interconnections and address them. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The qualitative analysis included a systematic literature review, database search, and the PRISMA framework to identify key variables influencing financial inclusion. The quantitative component utilised a word-to-vector methodology to measure semantic relationships among these variables. The findings reveal that while individual factors significantly impact financial inclusion within isolated themes, their influence diminishes when analysed within the broader systemic context. This aligns with the principles of systems thinking, emphasising the complexity of large-scale systems and the interconnected nature of variables. By visualising and quantifying these relationships, the study highlights the limitations of addressing financial inclusion through isolated interventions. The findings underscore the need for integrated, multi-faceted strategies considering systemic interactions. These insights provide a foundation for policymakers and stakeholders to develop more targeted, effective interventions that promote equitable economic development. By understanding how key variables interact within the more extensive system, decision-makers can design policies that address financial inclusion more holistically, ensuring sustainable and impactful solutions across diverse regions. This research contributes to the growing discourse on financial inclusion by offering a structured, data-driven approach to understanding its complexities and guiding strategic policymaking efforts. Keywords Financial inclusion · Financial technology · Economic development · Systems thinkingItem Psychological capital and entrepreneurial success: the mediating role of entrepreneurial bricolage among Ugandan microentrepreneurs(Taylor & Francis group, 2025-06-07) David. Iga;; Samuel Ssekajja Mayanja;; Jotham M. ByarugabaThis study explores the mediating role of entrepreneurial bricolage in the relationship between psychological capital and entrepreneurial success among microentrepreneurs in Kampala, Uganda. A cross-sectional survey design and quantitative approach were employed to collect data from 353 and analyzed through SPSS 23 and AMOS. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial bricolage plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between psychological capital and entrepreneurial success. In otherwords, entrepreneurial bricolage is a conduit through which psychological capital connects to entrepreneurial success. The study specifically focused on Kampala district, as it has the largest concentration of microentrepreneurs, meaning the results may not be generalized to the entire country. The study highlights that microentrepreneurs who cultivate and refine their mental skills, while strategically harnessing both internal resources, such as personal experiences, and external resources, like networks, are more likely to attain business success. This research contributes to entrepreneurship literature by highlighting the dual role of psychological capital and resourcefulness in promoting microenterprise success in resource-constrained environments. Additionally, the study emphasizes the role of psychological capital in shaping microentrepreneurs' decisions on how to creatively combine limited resources to achieve both business and personal goals, drawing on the principles of Entrepreneurial Bricolage theory.Item How do I chase away this man? From Bosco to Dismas, unpacking the situated knowledges of MTN Uganda’s adverts(Informa UK Limited, 2021-10-02) Nasaba, Robert MadoiMuch of the appeal of advertisements or adverts derives from a capacity to satisfy a primordial wish for pleasurable looking. An advert essentially sets out to impress on its audience a sign with easily readable mythic meaning. The unconscious of society, however, structures materiality of adverts in such a way that recognition could quite easily be overlaid with misrecognition. This paper uses semiotics to discover where and how the visual presence of adverts works against their intended hegemonic positions. Drawing upon a poststructuralist theoretical framework, the paper’s findings depart from claims to comprehensiveness and instead show a deferral of meaning. They also embrace plurality whilst questioning the validity of authorial authority. Results indicate that the alienated subject – MTN Uganda’s TV adverts – gave rise to other identification tags because its target audience knowingly and willingly wanted to have agency over their stories. The counternarrative that this paper unearths in part owes its existence to social media’s calling card, social endorsements or affordances, which trigger several decision heuristics. The poststructuralist situated knowledges in this case open themselves for new, unthought-of, and, perhaps, unexpected forms of knowledge production, unfolding from interrelated material-semiotic nodes.Item A “religious revolution”? Print media, sexuality, and religious discourse in Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2014-12-15) Bompani, Barbara; Brown, S. TerreniRecently, Uganda has made international headlines for the controversial Anti-homosexuality Bill and for a set of tight measures that have limited the freedom of sexual minorities. This article argues that Uganda's growth of Pentecostal-charismatic churches (PCCs) is playing a major role in influencing and defining the Ugandan public sphere, including (but not limited to) the ways in which sex and sexuality are conceptualized by and within Uganda's print media. This article suggests that the socially conservative nature of PCCs is highly influential in shaping the way print media write about sex and sexuality. This is because Pentecostal-charismatic (PC) constituencies constitute a considerable numerical market that print media cannot ignore. Second, PCs actively work toward influencing and shaping public policies, politics, and public spaces, like newspapers, that discuss and address public morality and decency in the country. As this article will show, within a highly “Pentecostalized” public sphere, alternative public discourses on sexuality are not allowed.Item Addressing silences in research on girls’ experiences of teacher sexual violence: insights from Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2022-10-29) Parkes, Jenny; Bhatia, Amiya; Datzberger, Simone; Nagawa, Rehema; Naker, Dipak; Devries, KarenGrowing evidence from multiple countries in Africa documents sexual violence in schools. However, when that violence is committed by teachers it is shrouded in secrecy. This article identifies disconnects between quantitative and qualitative research, policy and practice, which have contributed to these silences. We address some of these silences through a dialogical analysis of mixed methods data from the Contexts of Violence in Adolescence Cohort study (CoVAC) with young people in Uganda. The analysis illuminates girls’ experiences of sexual violence by school staff, and patterns of discrimination and inequality that increase vulnerabilities. The data reveal how schools vary in their institutional responses and, in the absence of institutional support, girls develop strategies to resist sexual coercion. Overall, our analysis exposes significant disconnects between policies and practices of sexual exploitation in schools. We conclude that dialogical, mixed methods research approaches have strong potential to better understand and address silences in policy and practice on highly sensitive topics.Item Accessibility to micro-finance services by people with disabilities in Bushenyi District, Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2012-03) Nuwagaba, Ephraim Lemmy; Nakabugo, Millie; Tumukunde, Meldah; Ngirabakunzi, Edson; Hartley, Sally; Wade, AngieThe Poverty Reduction Strategy of the Ugandan Government identified provision of microfinance as one of its interventions. Despite the known connection between poverty and people with disabilities, it remains unclear to what extent this intervention includes or accommodates them. This study seeks to gain a better understanding of how people with physical and sensory disabilities access existing microfinance services in the Bushenyi District of Uganda. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies are used. The findings suggest that people with disabilities are not necessarily denied access to microfinance if they meet the desired requirements. These relate to adequate savings or collateral and perceived trustworthiness. These are seen to be key determinants of success and can be linked to impaired functioning relating to limited mobility, distance, poorer access to information and disabled people’s own negative attitudes. Increasing access and utilization of microfinance services by people with disabilities requires formulation of financial policies that accord them special consideration. At the same time, improvement is needed in the knowledge, attitudes and skills of the people with disabilities themselves and also microfinance providers.Item Decentralization and territorial politics: the dilemma of constructing and managing identities in Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2013-03) Nsamba, Morris AdamBy examining the process of internal boundary adjustment in the Karamoja region of Uganda, this paper argues that internal boundary adjustments in Uganda have been pursued along ethnic lines, leading to a territorial kind of citizenship and an ethnic ‘containerization’ of communities. Based on an examination of the 2001 and 2011 presidential elections in Uganda's Acholi and Lango regions, the paper further argues that internal administrative boundary adjustments in Uganda have a political usage and meaning that goes beyond the official rhetoric of administrative efficiency used to justify these reforms. Internal boundary adjustment does not, however, always lead to the political ends intended by the ruling party. Both the National Resistance Army/Movement (NRA/M) government and opposition parties have attempted, and benefitted from, internal boundary adjustments. The empirical data presented are based on official reports and documents from the Government of Uganda, Electoral Commission election reports, and a review of published books, journals and newspapers articles.Item Challenges to the Acquisition of Literacy in Rural Primary Schools in Northern Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2020-01-02) Ssentanda, Medadi; Asiimwe, AllenLiteracy in the early years is crucial but attained amidst various challenges, especially in the Global South. Based on fieldwork conducted in October 2018 in four primary schools in Gulu district, Acoli region, northern Uganda, this study investigates school characteristics and facilities available to learners and teachers to scaffold the acquisition of literacy in the early years of schooling. These are discussed within the framework of Uganda’s mother-tongue education programme with a focus on the challenges of literacy acquisition. Data were collected from four schools by means of questionnaires, classroom interactions, and interviews, and were analysed through triangulation. The findings suggest that there are difficulties to attaining literacy within the MT education programme. Some of the challenges relate to teachers’ attitudes and practices, lack of school materials, poor school conditions, and large learner numbers per class. The implications of the observed challenges to literacy acquisition are discussed.Item Compliance with IAS Disclosure Requirements by Financial Institutions in Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2005-12-06) Sejjaaka, Samuel K.This study examines the extent of compliance by financial institutions (banks, and insurance firms) with IAS issued by the IASB and adopted in 1999 in Uganda. Despite the banking crisis of the 1990s and the drive to attract more foreign direct investment, we find that the extent of disclosure in the financial sector in terms of compliance with IAS is still poor. When we compare the disclosure scores for the two groups, we find that the scores are not significantly different. This indicates that the problem of low compliance is sector wide, and regulators need to improve on the standard of reporting in Uganda in order to improve acceptability of annual reports.Item Conflicts, poverty and human development in Northern Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2005-09) Nannyonjo, JustineThe long-running conflict in Northern Uganda has led to major violations of human rights against civilians, destruction of infrastructure and reduced access to social services, and has paralysed economic activity. Creating peace and fostering reconciliation in the region have not been successful either, thereby hindering development and relief activities, which are further constrained by insufficient funding, and lack of capacity at the district and community levels. The main challenges for reconstruction in Northern Uganda are therefore to: 1) achieve peace and reconciliation; 2) provide basic social services to the affected areas; 3) strengthen government capacity to coordinate development and relief activities; and 4) harmonize interventions by the various stakeholders to achieve increased flexibility and transparency.Item Ethnic pluralism and the challenge of thematic curriculum implementation in Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2019-09-30) Amone, CharlesUganda has been developing and revising its curricula since the time of British colonial rule. The latest revision of the primary education curriculum led to the introduction of the Thematic Curriculum in 2007. This curriculum requires the use of pupils' mother tongues as languages of instruction from Primary One to Three and then English from Primary Five to Seven. Primary Four is a transitional year. Several studies have indicated that the Thematic Curriculum has been a failure. Although various reasons have been advanced for the challenges of the Thematic Curriculum, the greatest setback seems to be ethnic pluralism. Using in-depth interviews with teachers, parents, education officials and pupils, I investigated how ethnic pluralism impeded the implementation of the Thematic Curriculum in Uganda. I found that most districts in Uganda are multi-ethnic and therefore multi-lingual making it difficult to choose the dominant mother tongue to use as a language of instruction. Even when the dominant language is identified, the pupils and teachers are in most cases from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. This study recommends the introduction of a national language to be used as medium of instruction at the lower levels of education in Uganda.Item Work from home can be distracting: Exploring the moderation role oftransformational leadership on teleworking and cyber-slacking(Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2025-01-02) Kyambade, Mahadih;; Namatovu, Afulah;; Ssentumbwe, Abdul Male ;; Tushabe, MonicaThis study examines the association between teleworking and cyber-slacking amonglecturers in higher institutions of learning in Uganda. Further emphasis is to investi-gate the moderation role of transformational leadership on the association.Quantitative data was collected using self-administered questionnaires from 240 aca-demic staff from higher institutions of learning from in Uganda. Data were analyzedusing Process Macro version 3.2 to ascertain the moderation role of transformationalleadership on the association between teleworking and cyber-slacking. The resultsindicate a significant positive association between teleworking and cyber-slaking. Italso found out a negative significant association between transformational leadershipand cyber-slacking. Furthermore, the study found out that transformational leadershipmoderates the association between teleworking and cyber-slacking. Institutions ofhigher learning should invest in leadership training programs aimed at developingtransformational leadership competencies among academic and administrative lead-ers. These programs should focus on enhancing communication skills, fostering a sup-portive work environment, and promoting a culture of accountability andempowerment. Leaders should communicate clear expectations regarding teleworkingarrangements, including performance standards, communication protocols, andacceptable internet use policies. The study is one of a kind and first to investigate therole of transformational leadership on the association between teleworking and cyber-slacking especially amongst institutions of higher learning putting emphasis on adeveloping nation like UgandaItem An Insight into Uganda’s New Sentencing Guidelines: A Replica of Individualization?(Federal Sentencing Reporter, 2014-10-05) Kamuzze, JulietThe Ugandan Taskforce on developing sentencing guidelines recently drafted sentencing guidelines for Uganda, which were issued as practice directions by the Chief Justice to assist judges and magistrates in the sentencing decision making process. Like in many other jurisdictions, the sentencing guidelines have been developed to address the perceived existence of inconsistencies in sentencing of similarly placed offenders. This article offers the first insight into Uganda's new sentencing guideline reform. Part I offers some brief commentary on the nature of discretionary sentencing in Uganda. This is followed by a concise chronology of the historical origins of the guidelines, including a brief commentary on the Ugandan Supreme Court decision in the Kigula case that abolished the mandatory death penalty. This decision created a new era of discretionary capital sentencing in Uganda, which later precipitated the need for the development of the guidelines. The third section provides an insight into the main features of the sentencing guidelines, including the composition and mandate of the Ugandan Taskforce that drafted the sentencing guidelines and a brief commentary on the scope and contents of the guidelines. This section addresses some important weaknesses confronting the Uganda guidelines. The article suggests that the Ugandan Taskforce crafted the guidelines on a loose definition of consistency which has given consistency as the main goal of the guidelines a meaningless function. The article concludes that consistency would be given a meaningful function if Uganda's guidelines are modeled on a limiting retributivism justification.Item Food security variation among Indigenous communities in South-western Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2021-02-24) Patterson, Kaitlin; Berrang-Ford, Lea; Lwasa, Shuaib; Namanya, Didacus B.; Ford, James; IHACC Research Team; Harper, Sherilee L.We assess whether the household is an apt scale of analysis to examine food insecurity of Indigenous Batwa of Kanungu District, Uganda. Our objectives were: 1) estimate the prevalence and range of food insecurity, 2) estimate the variation in food insecurity associated with household and community factors. The survey was administered 6 times at 3-month intervals (Jan 2013-April 2014). Multilevel modeling was used to determine household and community associations with food insecurity. The Batwa were highly food insecure (97%). Variation in food insecurity that is explained by household and community factors was low. Food insecurity analyses should be considered scale-dependent.Item Gender differences in substance use and associated factors among urban refugees in Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2023-08-03) Bahati, Ronald; Ashaba, Scholastic; Sigmund, Cathy Denise; Rukundo, Godfrey Zari; Ainamani, Herbert ElvisBackground: Alcohol and other substances use related problems among refugees is a global public health concern. Although there is substantial research on the use of alcohol and other substances among the refugees, little is known about gender and other factors that might be associated with the use of alcohol and other substances. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of alcohol and substance use across gender and other specific associated factors among urban refugees living in Mbarara city, Southwestern Uganda. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 343 refugees were interviewed on the use of alcohol and other substances using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and the Drug Abuse Screening Test. The associated factors included, age, marital status, occupation, duration (length of stay) in Uganda, educational levels, stigma and depression. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the predictor and outcome variables. Results: No significant gender difference in alcohol use was found, and the overall prevalence of hazardous, harmful or dependent alcohol use among our sample of refugees living in Mbarara city was 43%. There were however, statistically significant gender differences in the use of other substances, with a significantly higher percentage of men than women reporting intermediate, substantial, or severe substance use (45% among men, 37% among women). Higher levels of depression and being separated from one’s spouse were associated with higher levels of alcohol and substance use. In addition, higher age and being male were associated with the use of substances other than alcohol. Conclusions: Our findings indicate a high prevalence of problematic alcohol and substance use among both male and female refugees. Clinical interventions focused on the treatment and prevention of alcohol and substance use among the refugee communities may benefit from focusing on depressive symptoms as well.Item Public Accounts Committees in Eastern and Southern Africa: A Comparative Analysis(Politics & Policy, 2014-03-21) Pelizzo, Riccardo; Kinyondo, AbelThis article provides the first and most comprehensive analysis of Public Accounts Committees (PACs) from Eastern and Southern Africa building on the work of McGee, Jacobs, Stapenhurst, and Staddon. By analyzing an original set of data, this article shows that PACs in these two regions are bigger, have more staff members, and are more likely to be chaired by opposition Members of Parliament than they have in other countries and regions. Furthermore, the data show that Eastern and Southern African PACs are more active than their counterparts elsewhere. However, lack of political will and limits to the range of powers that they enjoy as well as the dearth of quality technical support from parliamentary staff significantly undermines the effectiveness of these committees and their ability to play a greater role in curbing corruption.Item Good Mzungu? Whiteness and white supremacy in postcolonial Uganda(Informa UK Limited, 2022-02-14) Christian, Michelle; Namaganda, AssumptaScholars looking at whiteness through a postcolonial lens have notably explored the lingering and multi-faceted nature of whiteness in the wake of empire. We apply Shome’s argument that whiteness is rendered visible through how it is ‘disembodied’ to explore how whiteness is signified and interpreted in a postcolonial Ugandan context and with the term Mzungu. Disembodied whiteness centres the discursive and material forms of whiteness. Interview and focus group data from domestic workers who work for foreigners in Uganda are analyzed. We argue in Uganda whiteness is structurally present in the growth of the development aid state and discursively understood in contrast and relation to Africanness and Blackness. Whiteness, Mzungu, African, Black represents multiple understandings and a duality for the Ugandan domestic workers who work in the foreign households of the aid state. Ultimately, postcolonial whiteness in Uganda sustains white supremacy, but fissures, contestation, and disruption also follow its production.