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Customary land acquisition and tenure security in refugee-host communities: an impact assessment
No full textContext and background:
Countries addressing the global refugee crisis are increasingly shifting from reliance on refugee camps or forced repatriation to promoting local integration. In Uganda, government grants refugees’ free access to customary land which is voluntarily acquired from communities on a ‘no monetary policy’. However, customary land is often characterized by poorly defined and undocumented land rights, creating challenges for both refugees and host communities. These challenges are compounded by inadequate land acquisition processes that undermine the tenure security of host communities and, consequently, affect refugees’ accessibility to land.
Goal and Objectives: The article examined the impact of customary land acquisition for refugee on tenure security of land rights holders and refugees. This was done by critically analysing the current rules and procedures implemented in customary land acquisition for refugee settlement in North
western Uganda. It also assessed the alignment of the rules and procedures with international standard of voluntary land donation and finally, evaluated how this alignment impacts the tenure security of both host communities and refugees.
Methodology:
A cross-sectional study design was employed to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from customary land donors, refugees, host community members, and key officials involved in the customary land acquisition process. Descriptive statistical techniques were used to analyse quantitative data, while qualitative data were examined using Gale et al.'s (2013) seven-step Framework Method. A comparative analytical framework was applied to assess the extent to which land acquisition practices aligned with, or deviated from, recognised international Voluntary Land Donation (VLD) standards and their impact on tenure security of host communities and refugees.
The results:
The study revealed that current procedural rules are routinely bleached, with key protective measures for vulnerable land donors notably absent. The land acquisition process was marked by coercive and exploitative practices by the government toward vulnerable communities. Such as include offering social services in exchange for land, acquiring more than 10% of the total productive land, and leaving communities more impoverished due to land donations. These practices, observed across various stages of customary land acquisition, rendered the land acquisition process non-compliant with internationally
recognized Voluntary Land Donation (VLD) standards. This non-compliance jeopardized the land rights of donors and undermined the tenure security of entire host communities. Although refugees’ access rights were comparatively better protected, the resulting insecurity among host communities adversely impacted refugee livelihoods, thereby impeding their self-reliance and prospects for sustainable integration
The microbiology of Uganda’s large freshwater lakes experiencing anthropogenic and climatic perturbations : why it matters—a review
No full text11 p.Intensification of pollution of African water resources due to human activities together with climate change has serious implications for Africa’s blue economy, biodiversity and human health. Despite these overwhelming threats, there is limited research as evidenced by the underrepresentation of Africa-based data in global ecological and biochemical models. This review, therefore, aims to highlight key challenges and existing research gaps, particularly in Ugandan freshwater ecosystems. We focus on lake
microbiology as this scientific field has been greatly underrepresented.
Aquatic microorganisms are situated at the base of lake food webs and thus play crucial roles in the evolution and maintenance of water quality, attenuation of pollutants, and control of biogeochemical cycling through the microbial loop. Until now, the microbiology of Ugandan lakes has not been systematically studied. Thus, many open fundamental microbial ecology questions need to be urgently addressed to generate valuable information to advance future research, education, management and policy in Uganda and beyond. These include, but are not limited to: identification of microbial taxa and functional genes in relation to anthropogenic and climatic influence; seasonal and spatial variation in species diversity and functions; diversity and functions of planktonic, sediment, biofilm and mat communities; antimicrobial resistance burden; plastisphere communities; and geomicrobiology
Valuation of regulating ecosystem services in Africa: a review of policy impact reporting
No full textRegulating ecosystem services (RES) play a very critical role in the sustenance of environmental health and human well-being, yet their valuation remains a complex and dynamic field. The variety of valuation methods, each with its strengths and limitations, as well as the limited methodological guidance for the selection of appropriate methods, poses a challenge in the valuation of RES. This review examined RES valuation studies in Africa, focusing on growth trends, methodological preferences, and policy reporting approaches. Drawing on the existing literature, we also explored the use of decision trees to support the choice of appropriate methods. A synthesis of peer-reviewed literature identified 31 studies, and their analysis revealed the dominant use of single-valuation methods in the assessment of RES and a varied growth rate in the number of valuation studies over the period under review. Furthermore, a notable heterogeneity exists in the methods used to report policy impact across various value assessments. This review contributes valuable insights into the current state of RES valuation research, necessary to advance methodologies, guide future research, and inform policy discussions on the sustainable management of ecosystems
Nutrition-sensitive determinants of anemia among women of childbearing age in Eastern Uganda
No full text872-887 p.Anemia remains a major public health concern, affecting approximately 30% of women aged 15 - 49 globally and 21% in Eastern Uganda, posing significant risks to maternal and child health. Addressing this issue requires understanding how nutrition is linked to broader health, social, and economic development initiatives. This study examines the relationship between nutrition-sensitive
determinants—including household food insecurity, minimumdietary diversity for women, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) conditions—
and the prevalence of anemia, defined as hemoglobin levels < 11 g/dL in pregnant women and <12 g/dL in non-pregnant women. Data from the Uganda National Panel Survey that included 558 weighted samples of women in Eastern Uganda were reanalyzed. Descriptive analysis revealed that the overall prevalence of anemia was 18.3%, with 24.3% and 17.8% among pregnant and non-pregnant women respectively. The prevalence of anemia among women of reproductive age varied from mild to moderate public health according to the World Health Organization. Logistic regression analysis employed to explore the nutrition-sensitive determinants of anemia among women revealed that anemia prevalence was significantly (p < 0.001) associated with several factors (12) including the nutrition-sensitive variables such as MDD-W (AOR= 0.73, p = 0.03), handwashing (AOR = 0.72, p = 0.031), and wealth index (AORmiddle = 0.128, AORricher = 0.201, AORrichest = 0.103, p = 0.041). Interven-
tions for anemia in Eastern Uganda need to focus on improving key nutritionsensitive indicators like dietary diversity, WASH practices, and wealth status among women
Correlates of the knowledge of emotional and behavioral disturbances among teachers in crowded post-covid-19 lockdown classrooms in Kasese District, Uganda
No full textThis study assessed secondary school teachers’ overall knowledge of emotional
and behavioural disturbances (EBDs) among the growing number of students
with EBDs in post-COVID-19 lockdown government-aided schools in Western
Uganda. The study was quantitative, employing a correlational cross-sectional
survey research design. A sample of 330 full-time teachers was drawn from
three public secondary schools through stratified and simple random sampling.
Data were collected using the Knowledge of Emotional and Behavioral
Disturbances Questionnaire (KEBDQ) to establish relationships between
variables. Pearson correlation coefficient and a stepwise linear regression were
used to analyse data. Findings revealed that teachers’ overall knowledge of
EBDs was very low implying that they were not aware of the characteristics of
these learners and thus managing them in their crowded classrooms may be a
disaster. A stepwise linear regression revealed that undergraduate courses and
crowded classrooms significantly predicted teachers’ overall knowledge of
EBDs in crowded classrooms after the COVID-19 lockdown. In conclusion,
based on the findings, higher teacher education institutions should make
undergraduate courses related to EBDs compulsory during professional training,
and the Ministry of Education and Sports should reduce overcrowded
classrooms for effective classroom management
A study on ‘HR practices for achieving sustainable development goals’
No full text232-236 p. ;A study exploring the relationship between HR practices and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) finds that integrating sustainability into HR practices is crucial for organizational success. Key HR practices like recruitment, performance management, training, and employee engagement play a vital role in fostering a sustainable workforce and driving progress towards SDGs. Understanding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): In the 1970s, the idea of "sustainability" was first related with the environmental and economic dimensions; then social dimension was added. The World Commission on Environment and Development's renowned Brundtland Report, which was released in 1987, established the concept of sustainable development and made the advancement of human resources (HR) a key priority in order to boost economic activity and support the sustainability of organisations and society as a whole. (Campos‐García, et al, 2024) Since then, a dual perspective has led to an increase in interest in understanding the relationship between sustainability and HR. First, HR may contribute significantly to business sustainability—what people can accomplish for organizations—through their knowledge, methods of operation, abilities, abilities, values, and attitudes. Employees can, on the one hand, help create and preserve a sustainable competitive advantage (Ehnert, 2014)
Ethos of librarians in academic libraries in Uganda: a study of unethical practices
No full text49 - 61 p. ;This paper analyses the ethical practices of Ugandan academic librarians by studying student service experiences at Kyambogo University (KyU) and Uganda Christian University (UCU). Through focus group discussions conducted with twenty-three (23) Library and Information Science (LIS) students (n=14 Kyambogo; n=9 UCU) who served as participants sampled by convenience and purposive strategies, the study analysed the multifaceted aspects related to ethical conduct. The research revealed that students’ perceived expectations of research assistance, ICT, and reference services differed substantially from actual practice. Current unethical conduct includes librarian absence and book restrictions, as well as resource misuse. This ethical deficit arises from three main factors: insufficient and enforceable ethical standards at the national level, inadequate professional oversight systems, and cultural norms within UCU, which exemplify faith-based higher education that sometimes conceals underlying ethical difficulties. This research develops an Ubuntu-based ethical system to supplement the IFLA Code of Ethics tailored to the Ugandan sociocultural setting. The study promotes LIS education that focuses on ethics, along with continuous professional development initiatives, and the development of a code of conduct between libraries and the delivery of psychosocial services to librarians. The study brings sophistication to African library ethics scholarship by supplying ethical recommendations tailored for academic institutions based upon empirical findings
Semi-field experiments reveal contrasted predation and movement patterns of aquatic macroinvertebrate predators of Anopheles gambiae larvae
No full textBackground Members of the Anopheles gambiae complex are major malaria vectors in sub-Saharan Africa. Their larval stages inhabit a variety of aquatic habitats in which, under natural circumstances, they are preyed upon by different taxa of aquatic macroinvertebrate predators. Understanding the potential impact of predators on malaria vector larval population dynamics is important for enabling integrated local mosquito control programmes with a stronger emphasis on biocontrol approaches. This study experimentally evaluated the predation efficacy and foraging strategy of three common aquatic macroinvertebrate predators of An. gambiae, diving beetles (Coleoptera), backswimmers (Hemiptera), and dragonfly nymphs (Odonata) in a semi-field system in South-Eastern Tanzania. Methods An array of alternating small and large basins used as aquatic habitats was created in two compartments of a semi-field system and filled with well water. Field-collected adult diving beetles, backswimmers or dragonf ly nymphs were randomly assigned to these habitats and Anopheles arabiensis larvae were added as prey in half of the habitats. The number of mosquito larvae consumed, predator mobility across habitats and mortality were recorded at 24, 48 and 72 h. Results The presence of An. gambiae larvae in habitats significantly increased the survival of backswimmer and dragonfly nymphs, which are not mobile. In contrast, diving beetles survived well under any initial condition by preferentially flying away from habitats without prey to nearby larger habitats with prey. The larval predation rates of predacious diving beetle, backswimmer and dragonfly nymphs were stable over time at a mean of 3.2, 7.0 and 9.6 larvae consumed each day. Conclusion This study demonstrates that aquatic macroinvertebrate predators display adaptive foraging behaviour in response to prey presence and aquatic habitat size. It also confirms the ability of these predators to significantly reduce An. gambiae larval densities in aquatic habitats, thus their potential for consideration as additional biocontrol tools for mosquito population reduction
Multiple antimicrobial resistance indices of Staphylococcus aureus from the nares of goats and slaughterhouse attendants in Kampala city, Uganda– a cross sectional study
No full textThe emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global menace to both public and animal health sectors with devastating effects in developing countries. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics in human health and livestock management contributes to development and rapid spread of AMR. Staphylococcus aureus is a major opportunistic zoonotic pathogen that colonises the skin and nostrils of human beings and animals and continues to develop antimicrobial resistance against different agents. The study aimed to determine multiple antibiotic resistance indices of S. aureus isolates from healthy domestic goats and slaughterhouse attendants in Kampala, Uganda.
Demographic characteristics of consenting slaughterhouse attendants and goat keepers were recorded through a questionnaire. Antibiotics use among slaughterhouse workers and domestic goats and skin infections in the past twelve months were recorded. Nasal swabs were collected from healthy domestic goats at household level (n = 378) and slaughterhouse attendants (n = 131). Isolates were obtained on mannitol salt agar (MSA) upon incubation at 35°C for 24 h. The Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method was used to determine antimicrobial susceptibility to penicillin, gentamycin, erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, linezolid, amoxicillin, ceftriaxone and cefoxitin. In this study, the participating slaughterhouse workers were predominantly male (79%) while does (90%) were the majority of the goats sampled. S. aureus carriage was 32% and 43% among slaughterhouse workers and goats, respectively. Methicillin resistant S. aureus carriage was 12% and 11% among slaughterhouse attendants and goats, respectively. There was a high level of exposure to antibiotics among S. aureus carriers (62%) and goats (41%) in the past one year, including use of critically important antimicrobials in human medicine for livestock disease management. Amoxicillin (17%) and ciprofloxacin (12%) were the most used antibiotics among the S. aureus carriers. Oxytetracycline (33%) and Penicillin-streptomycin combination (21%) were the most used antimicrobials in goat keeping. Close to a quarter of the human participants reported having suffered probable staphylococcal related infections like pustules in the previous months. With the exception of gentamycin and linezolid, all the S. aureus isolates from human nasal swabs were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics used. S. aureus isolates from goats’ nasal swabs were resistant to at least one of the antibiotics studied. The multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) index of 41% of S. aureus isolates from slaughterhouse attendants was greater than 0.2 (mean = 0.2 ± 0.2, range 0.1 to 0.7). The MAR index of 22% of S. aureus isolates from goats was greater than 0.2 (mean = 0.2 ± 0.1, range = 0 to 0.7). The most frequent multidrug resistance (MDR) pattern was FOX, CIP, E, TE, SXT, CRO, and CD among S. aureus isolates from slaughterhouse attendants. The most frequent MDR patterns for the isolates from goats were E, TE, CRO, CD and TE, CRO, CD. Healthy domestic goats and slaughterhouse workers are carriers of multidrug resistant S. aureus strains in Kampala city
Entrepreneurial resilience and the wellbeing of women entrepreneurs in the hospitality and tourism industry of Uganda
No full text22 pagesPurpose – The purpose of the study is to establish the impact of entrepreneurial resilience on the wellbeing of
women entrepreneurs. The study also examines how individual dimensions of entrepreneurial resilience
(hardiness, optimism and resourcefulness) impact the wellbeing of women entrepreneurs in the hospitality and
tourism industry of Uganda.
Design/methodology/approach – This study is cross-sectional and used a self-administered questionnaire
to gather data from women entrepreneurs. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social
Sciences to run the descriptive, correlational and multiple regression analyses.
Findings – The results indicate that entrepreneurial resilience as a global variable significantly impacts
wellbeing of women entrepreneurs and at the dimensional level, only hardiness significantly impacts the
wellbeing of women entrepreneurs unlike optimism and resourcefulness.
Originality/value – This study is one of the limited investigations that have interrogated resilience and the
wellbeing of women entrepreneurs using evidence from a developing nation where government and nongovernment
organizations are still grappling with uplifting the position of women, including those engaged in
entrepreneurial activities. The major contribution of this study lies in its focus on how the dimensions o