EANSO East African Nature and Science Organization Journals
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Financing of Higher Education in the Republic of South Sudan
Get PDFThe ultimate purpose of this paper is to clearly point out the financial hurdles faced by higher education and try to suggest possible ways for addressing them, even if in parts. To tackle this article, a mixed method of both descriptive and qualitative was aptly used. The paper found that the government financial allocations for institutions of higher education were inadequate, mainly confined to salaries. Other sources of funding included students’ tuition fees, which are equally meagre. It was also found that higher education institutions lack other sources of funding. The paper concluded with emphasis on the increase of government allocations for higher education institutions, standardisation and expansion of learning facilities, and that higher education institutions have no choice but to seek other sources of funding, that is by taking on investment
Perceptions of Risky Sexual Behaviour in Island Communities of Uganda: A Comparison of Young People and Adults
Get PDFPurpose: Risky Sexual behaviour (RSB) among young people remains a significant worldwide public health concern, particularly within island communities. Young people in these areas are disproportionately exposed to unprotected sex, multiple partnerships, and transactional encounters, elevating their risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, and unintended pregnancies. Perceptions of risky sexual behaviour based on the sexuality information they receive play a central role in how young people understand and act on sexual and reproductive health challenges. This study compared young people's to adults' perceptions of RSB in the island communities of Uganda. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study in Kkoome Island Subcounty, Mukono District, Uganda, using data from 16 focus group discussions with 72 young people, 24 parents, and 20 key informants. Participants were selected through purposive stratified sampling. Discussions were recorded verbatim in Luganda and English with informed consent and ethical approval SS3785ES. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis in NVivo16 software. Findings: Young people perceived RSB as early-sex, coerced-sex, unprotected-sex, peer-pressured-sex, and substance use-influenced sex, prioritising health vulnerability and personal agency over legalities. Most 10-14-year-olds had limited knowledge of RSB. Adults, including parents, teachers, religious leaders, healthcare workers, and other community leaders, added morality, legality, multiple partnerships, transactional sex, and environmental influences on their framing of RSB, focusing on personal values and societal values. Conclusion: There is a generational divide in perceptions of RSB, as young people focused on experienced personal vulnerability, while adults focused on both personal and community/societal vulnerability. Young people remain partially informed and exposed to sexuality information, while adults lack the capacity to provide accurate, complete, gender sensitive, and non-discriminatory sexuality information. Improving the capacity of adults to consistently provide accurate and complete sexuality information to young people is crucial to bridging the divide and could be sustainable
Media and Art Forms: A Critical Review
Get PDFLiterary and artistic works, whether oral, visual or written, have always banked on prevailing media spaces for their composition, performance and transmission. The implicature of this is that the dominant media surfaces at the disposal of an artist at any given time play a big role in shaping and influencing the nature and characteristics of creative oeuvres in any given society. This is because artists patronise surfaces within their reach to showcase their creativity. Resultantly, this review paper seeks to explore the intersection between different media platforms and artistic outputs across different literary and creative epochs in Africa. The paper traces technological revolutions that have shaped and enhanced the growth of creative arts from pre-literate to the postmodern society, which is characterised by an avalanche of techno-digital advancements that have significantly revolutionised media spaces. The paper adopts a qualitative research design in appraising the influence of media spaces on artistic productions spanning the aforementioned societies. As such, the study reviews literature that is germane to the subject under investigation to make the argument that artistic outputs cannot be fixated on certain media platforms but predate on the readily, convenient and suitable media spaces at any given time for their manifestation. Intrinsically, therefore, the paper seeks to rationalise proliferating artistic emergences in the wake of media revolutions in the 21st century and beyond. The discussions in this paper affirm that African artists and writers have always relied on the prevailing media platform to compose and disseminate their works. The media platforms that have shaped artistic and literary works include traditional media, print and mass media and lastly social media. All these mediascapes have supported varying artistic and literary works ranging from oral and written literature as well as present-day proliferating popular art forms such as internet memes and sketch comedy, which heavily rely on social media surfaces for composition and dissemination
Effects of the E-tendering in Public Procurement Performance at Iruwasa
Get PDFThis study examined the effects of e-tendering on public procurement performance at the Iringa Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority (IRUWASA), to evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing procurement efficiency, transparency, and supplier participation. Guided by the Technological Advancement Theory and the Digital Divide Theory, a quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 96 IRUWASA employees selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and organisational records, and analysed with SPSS version 20, with reliability and validity confirmed through Cronbach’s Alpha and the KMO and Bartlett’s tests. Findings indicate that e-tendering significantly reduced procurement cycle times, increased bidder participation, and enhanced transparency, thereby strengthening operational efficiency and accountability. However, challenges such as inadequate ICT infrastructure, limited digital literacy, and occasional system interruptions were reported as barriers to optimal performance. The study recommends establishing a dedicated NEST Implementation Team, providing continuous training, ensuring adherence to e-tendering procedures, and promoting proactive supplier engagement to maximise the system’s benefits. Future research should explore the longitudinal impacts of e-tendering and conduct comparative studies across multiple public procurement entities in Tanzani
Tax Policies and Growth of Micro and Small Enterprises in Siaya County, Kenya
Get PDFMicro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are foundational to Kenya's economy, contributing over 30% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employing the majority of the working population. However, the MSEs’ sector in Siaya County has recently faced significant headwinds, characterised by a sharp decline in reported operating profit margins from an average of 13.4% in 2018 to 5.6% in 2022, leading to numerous business closures. This study investigated the quantitative impact of various tax policies on the sustained growth of MSEs in Siaya County, Kenya. Specifically, the research evaluated the role of tax policy complexity, analysed the effectiveness of available tax incentives, and assessed the influence of the overall taxation structure on business expansion. The study adopted a descriptive research design anchored on the Ability to Pay Theory, Tax Incentive Theory, and Cost-of-Service Theory. A target population of 450 registered MSEs was sampled to a size of 207, and primary data were collected using structured questionnaires. Data analysis utilised Descriptive, Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression techniques via SPSS. The findings, derived from the regression model (R2=0.585), indicate that Tax Policy Complexity has a statistically significant and strong negative effect on business growth (B=−1.432, p<.001). Conversely, Tax Incentives exhibited a significant positive influence on growth (B=0.369, p<.001), supporting their efficacy as a stimulative tool. The Taxation Structure did not register a significant independent effect on growth (B=0.044, p=.387). The study recommends the urgent simplification and consolidation of tax filing and payment procedures to alleviate administrative burden and the implementation of targeted, progressive tax incentives to foster sustained capital reinvestment and employment creation within the sector
Beyond the Degree: Networking and Labour Market Information as Drivers of Job Search Success Among Graduates in Bujumbura, Burundi
Get PDFUnemployment remains a pressing socio-economic challenge, particularly among graduates navigating a competitive and information-scarce job market. This study assessed how networking, professional connections, and access to labour market information influence job search success among youth graduates in Bujumbura, Burundi. Using a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 388 youth graduates through surveys and key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using a multiple linear regression model, facilitated by IBM SPSS version 25 and Excel, while qualitative data were analysed using content analysis. A mixed-methods approach was employed, and data triangulation and regression analysis were used to ensure reliability and validity. Findings revealed that networking through alumni groups (p=0.000), social media usage (p=0.041), mentorship (p=0.000), and internships (p=0.042) significantly impacted employment outcomes. Access to labour market information, including job portal access (p=0.003), institutional support (p=0.001), career guidance (p=0.000), and job advertisements (p=0.000), also contributed to job search success. Qualitative interviews with HR officers reinforced these findings, highlighting that networking and access to labour market information play a critical role in job search success. The study concludes that networking, professional connections, and access to labour market information significantly contribute to employment outcomes. It recommends that universities, NGOs, and government agencies incorporate networking facilitation and digital access into their programmes
Critical Thinking and Doctoral Completion: A Comparative Study of Timely and Delayed Graduates in Ugandan Universities
Get PDFTimely completion is one of the key indicators of higher education effectiveness. Critical thinking, as an essential competency, may be influential in determining the completion rates of doctoral students. This study, therefore, compared levels of critical thinking for the doctoral graduates who completed on time and those who experienced delays in completion. The study adopted a quantitative ex post facto research design, with data collected using a standardised critical thinking self-assessment tool. Data were collected from 279 doctoral graduates who were selected using stratified random sampling. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test, where results indicated that there is a statistically significant difference in the critical thinking scores between the doctoral graduates who completed on time and those who experienced delays in completion (p < .05). The negative t-test value (-4.022) and a negative mean difference (-2.60777) indicated that those who experienced delays in completion scored highly on critical thinking dispositions in comparison to those who completed on time. It was concluded that higher levels of critical thinking dispositions are associated with delayed completion and vice versa. The results contribute to the ongoing debates on timely completion in doctoral education and provide practical implications for graduate programme design. The study recommends training of doctoral students to transform their critical thinking dispositions into practice. Further research is suggested using a quasi-experimental design to study critical thinking dispositions and timely completio
A Conceptual-Pedagogical Framework for Integrating Employability Skills in Uganda’s Teacher and TVET Education
Get PDFThis study developed a Conceptual-Pedagogical Framework for integrating Employability Skills in teacher and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs in Uganda. Guided by the principles of the Competency-Based Education model and the Human Capital Theory, the study is a desk review of national policies, institutional reports, and peer-reviewed literature published between 2012 and 2025. Analysis revealed persistent gaps between classroom instruction and labour market demands, thereby emphasising the need for systematic integration of ES in teacher and TVET education. A framework was proposed connecting theory, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and policy, to guide the integration by engaging transformative teacher and TVET education practice. It also underscores experiential, project-based, and industry-linked pedagogies as avenues for enhancing hard skills, communication skills, problem-solving, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The study concludes that embedding ES in teacher and TVET curricula is essential for achieving Uganda’s Vision 2040 and Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8
Incorporation of Visual Arts in Competency-Based Curriculum: Improving Student Learning Outcomes
Get PDFThe incorporation of visual arts into the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) plays a pivotal role in enhancing learners’ creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. This study investigates how the integration of visual arts within the CBC framework improves student learning outcomes in basic education. Using a mixed-method research design, data were collected from 30 participants, comprising 20 learners and 10 teachers selected through purposive sampling. Questionnaires and interviews were used to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. The findings revealed that visual arts significantly contribute to learners’ conceptual understanding of other subjects through thematic projects and experiential learning. The study further found that visual arts foster innovation, improve learner engagement, and develop essential competencies such as collaboration and communication. However, inadequate instructional time and limited teacher training in art-based pedagogy were identified as challenges affecting effective implementation. The study concludes that meaningful integration of visual arts within the CBC can lead to holistic learner development and recommends continuous teacher professional development and adequate allocation of time and resources for visual arts instructio
Academic Attainment and Student Retention as spree chaperons for quality Education in Ugandan Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Jinja
Get PDFThe study aimed to investigate the impact of academic performance on students’ retention rates. A phenomenological research design using interviews with head teachers, academic staff, and students was utilised. The findings showed that the brighter students were more dedicated to academics, making them more present in school. However, the students who were slow learners were more disadvantaged and vulnerable to quitting attendance. This danger was heightened by several factors, such as the financial aspect that made obtaining basic educational needs challenging and poor academic assistance when in difficulty. Solving these problems may lead to improvement in retention rates. Likewise, retention can be negatively affected by socioeconomic challenges and the absence of academic and emotional support. In conclusion, academic attainment and student retention are interconnected, with higher academic attainment rates fostering student engagement, resulting in high retention. Overcoming the challenges from various socio-economic, institutional, and psychological barriers and parental support are key factors in promoting retention. Recommendations suggest peer-to-peer study groups to allow collaborative learning, parents and guardians’ involvement, and implementation of strategies by the Ministry of Education and Government agencies that help improve student retention and performanc