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 Open Access 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 Open access 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
Theoretical Perspective of Urban Farming and Food Security in Southwestern Uganda
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2025-04-09) Atuhaire, Mary Tibamanya; Adyanga, Akena Francis; Ocan, Johnson
This study examined the potential of urban agriculture as a strategy to alleviate food insecurity among low-income households in urban areas of southwestern Uganda. As rapid urbanization challenges traditional food systems to meet increasing demand for affordable and nutritious food, urban agriculture offers a promising solution. By using limited urban spaces to grow crops, urban agriculture can increase food access and provide economic benefits. Drawing on secondary data from government reports, academic research, policy documents and case studies, the study examined the role of urban agriculture in improving food security, promoting community empowerment and generating income through market-oriented gardening. The study suggests that households practising urban farming have better access to diverse and nutritious foods compared to households in peri-urban and rural areas. However, constraints such as land scarcity, inadequate water management, limited technical knowledge and inadequate policy support hinder the full potential of urban agriculture. The study highlighted the need for integrated urban policies that support sustainable food systems and community-based agricultural programs. By promoting innovative farming techniques and optimizing the use of space, urban farming can serve as a scalable model for building resilient urban food systems in southwestern Uganda.
Farmers’ Knowledge and Perception of Apple Arthropod Pests in the Kigezi Highlands of Uganda
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2025-03-18) Kamusiime, Emilly; Natongo, Judith Ssali; Cosmas, Wacal; Tumuhaise, Venansio; Obua, Joseph
This article examines the knowledge and perceptions of farmers on arthropod pests in Kigezi apple agroecology. Today, apple production in Kigezi persistently gives poor quality and low quantity apple fruits, and a significantly low percentage of Kigezi apples reach both local and international markets. This study’s data was collected from four districts of Kigezi which include; Kabale, Rukiga, Rubanda and Rukungiri where 25 apple growers were selected per district. Interviewing selected farmers was done from May to December, 2023, using structured and non-structured questionnaires. Collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics where parametric and non-parametric tests were conducted and frequencies and percentages were generated from different responses. Results from analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a significant knowledge gap on pest species of Green apple aphids, Apple sawfly, Thrips and Apple rust mites across districts. Again, knowledge of all common pests of apple scales, coddling moth, apple maggot, apple bud weevil, rosy aphid, woolly apple aphid, common green capsid, apple grass aphid, green apple aphid, apple sawfly, thrips, apple rust mite and fruit tree spider red mite significantly differed among the farmers. It was noted that 37% of interviewed farmers were aware of apple arthropod pests. However, 82% of knowledgeable farmers were unable to identify nor classify these arthropod pests nor do they match any arthropod pest species to its associated damage symptoms. This led to 95% of respondents scoring less than 10% on knowledge of arthropod pests at both district and sub-county levels. This might have resulted from limited farmer training on arthropod pests and their associated damage symptoms. Therefore, for increased apple production in Kigezi, we recommend that farmers be equipped with knowledge of arthropod pests and their management. This could be achieved through comprehensive farmer sensitisation and training on arthropod pests.
Unraveling the Mediating Factors in Agricultural Training Transfer for Ugandan Extension Workers
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2025-02-24) Mukasa, Pontious Mubiru; Miiro, Richard; Obaa, Bernard; Mutebi, Henry; Kizza, James; Kiwanuka, Joseph
Purpose: This paper investigated the mediation role of transfer work environment and training design on training transfer of agricultural management skills on the population of extension. Work environment and training design are expected to mediate the relationship between trainee characteristics (independent variables) and the transfer of training (dependent variable). Methodology: Data was collected from 281 agricultural extension workers who completed training on holistic agricultural management skills training programs at Makerere universities. This was achieved through a survey questionnaire anchored on a 5-point Likert scale and analyzed using Structural equation modelling using Analysis of Moment of Structures. Findings: Based on the results; we established a positive significant relationship between trainee characteristics, work environment, training design and perceived training transfer as insinuated by the Learning Transfer System Inventory. Additionally, the work environment and training design of extension workers partially mediate the relationship between trainee characteristics and perceived training transfer as well as training design between work environment and perceived training transfer. Implications: To optimize training outcomes, attention should not only be given to individual trainee characteristics but also to the conducive work environment and well-designed training programs. Fostering a supportive work context and tailoring training designs to align with organizational needs become crucial strategies.
Performance Evaluation of NAGRIC Community-Based Animal Breeding Program on Dairy Farming in Kikatsi Sub County Kiruhura District
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2025-01-20) Ahimbisa, Brian; Bahame, David; Mwebembezi, William
Community-Based Animal Breeding Programs (CBABP) have gained considerable attention recently and are being viewed as a viable approach to increase livestock productivity in low-input and smallholder settings, particularly in Uganda’s cattle corridor in general and Kiruhura district in particular. Despite the implementation of the NAGRIC community-based animal breeding program, there remains a significant gap in the comprehensive evaluation of its performance in dairy farming systems. This study therefore was intended to evaluate the performance of NAGRIC community-based animal breeding program to determine its effectiveness in achieving the desired outcomes. The study specifically aimed at assessing the level of farmer engagement and participation in NAGRIC-CBABP, analysing the influence of NAGRIC-CBABP on cattle-breed improvement and milk production and evaluating the Sustainability of NAGRIC-CBABP in Dairy Farming communities in Kikatsi sub-county, Kiruhuura district. To achieve the objectives, a cross-sectional study design was adopted rooted in the quantitative approach. The study population comprises dairy farmers, government leaders, local leaders and other leaders in Kikatsi Sub County, Kiruhura district. The sample size included 59 respondents. A structured questionnaire with multiple-choice questions was used to collect quantitative data from farmers while semi-structured interviews were held with key informants in this case leaders. The collected data was analyzed by generating descriptive statistics. From the analysis, the study revealed that the level of farmer engagement and participation in NAGRIC-CBABP is still low where about 72.5% of the farmers are still reliant on natural breeding methods with limited participation in modern breeding methods such as artificial insemination. Community-Based Animal Breeding Program had a positive influence on cattle-breed improvement and milk production in Kikatsi Sub County since they are perceived by most farmers to be highly beneficial in terms of genetic improvement, increased availability of quality and improved breeds. However, there was concern among most farmers about the scarcity of highly productive breeds in terms of milk production and the lack of tick and disease-resistant breeds. Other concerns were about the high cost of semen, limited knowledge about artificial insemination and lack of semen that specifically breeds heifers. Despite the Government intervention most dairy communities in Kikatsi Sub County have not sustainably benefitted from NAGRIC-CBABPs since utilization of services provided under this program is still low. Addressing these challenges is therefore critical to improve farmer engagement and participation in NAGRIC-CBABPs hence contributing significantly to the sustainability of these programs. The study therefore recommended Government through the NARO and MAAIF conduct thorough research into the breeds of dairy cattle that are highly productive and resistant to ticks and diseases as well as the most effective acaricides and drugs for ticks and diseases respectively. The Government should also provide subsidies on the cost of semen used in artificial insemination and train and employ more agriculture extension officers to scale up sensitization
Reflections on Social Justice in the Promotion of Biotechnology Crops and Institutionalisation of Food Values among Smallholder Farmers in Central Uganda
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2024-11-06) Serugo, Paulous; Ssentongo, Jimmy Spire; Byalebeka, John
The academic discourse of agricultural biotechnology carries a lot of information on how biotechnology crops are crucial in realizing food security once they are fully adopted by farmers. Biotechnology crops are seen as the solution to ameliorate the Malthusian catastrophe of population increase threatening food security. While studies on agricultural biotechnology are increasing, they mainly focus on how the new agriculture science produces crops with desirable traits in supporting food production interventions. Few studies have concerned themselves with the social justice implications among smallholder farmers, posed by institutionalised agricultural biotechnology knowledge with its sophistication. This paper addresses itself to the above lacuna. The data collection used an embedded mixed method design with focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, non-participant observation, and questionnaire survey methods. The paper shows that mechanisms that are used to promote biotechnology crops are highly institutionalized. The institutions not only develop the biotechnology crops but also engage in mechanisms that encourage smallholder farmers to adopt these crops. The major social justice concerns addressed by this study are plant diversity, equity and commercialization of biotechnology-generated seeds/crops, participation, and farming choices