Mak IR Repository (Makerere University)
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Analysis of factors affecting the development of capital markets in Uganda: a case of the Capital Markets Authority
No full textA research report submitted to the College of Business and Management Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a degree of Master of Financial Services of Makerere UniversityThe research titled "Analysis of Factors Affecting the Development of Capital Markets in Uganda: A Case of the Capital Markets Authority" offers an extensive analysis of the elements influencing the progression and efficacy of the capital markets in Uganda. It focuses particularly on the role played by the Capital Markets Authority. The study meticulously examines various determinants, including the level of financial literacy among investors, the robustness and adaptability of regulatory frameworks, and the effectiveness of tax policies in shaping investor behavior and market dynamics. The research also explores how these factors contribute to market liquidity and efficiency. By providing detailed insights and actionable recommendations, this study aims to significantly contribute to the strategic development and operational improvement of Uganda's capital markets, highlighting its importance in the broader context of emerging market economies
A web-based performance assessment tool for immunisation health workers in Uganda: A case of Tororo General Hospital
No full textA thesis submitted to the Makerere University School of Public Health in partial fulfillment of the award of Master of Health Informatics Makerere University, Kampala.Background: Assessing health worker performance is vital in determining immunisation coverage, as it is essential for making evidence-based decisions. It helps implement effective interventions to improve the quality and impact of immunisation programs within health facilities if assessment is done using the World Health Organization's performance indicators.
Objective: This study aimed to develop a web-based health worker performance assessment tool to support decision-making for immunisation health workers in Tororo General Hospital. Methods: The case study utilised the Design Science research methodology to achieve its objectives. Requirements derived from this analysis were validated through a survey and used to create system designs and develop the system itself. The system employed a three-tier Client-Server architecture with load balancers to distribute requests. It had a React-based frontend, JavaScript for server-side logic, a PostgreSQL database, Microsoft Azure hosting, GitHub Actions for CI/CD, Docker for deployment, and cross-platform compatibility. The prototype was tested with a telehealth usability questionnaire, and the results were analysed quantitatively. Results: The study involved nine participants (5 males and 4 females) predominantly health workers and administrators on Tororo General Hospital’s immunisation program. The findings revealed that work overload, lack of motivation, missing data, and information loss were the main challenges affecting health worker performance assessment. The developed tool for health worker performance assessment enabled the facility to measure each health worker's performance based on their contribution to immunisation coverage in terms of timeliness, drop-out in vaccination, new vaccinations, total vaccination, competence, and total vaccination per vaccine. The system therefore rated the performance of the health worker based on their scores and a target for each indicator. It categorised the health worker in either green to show very good performance, yellow to mean good, orange to mean poor and red to mean very poor. A telehealth usability survey assessed the perceived need, ease of use, and attitude towards the tool. The respondents scored the system at 4.6, 4.65 and 4.5 for perceived need, ease of use and attitude towards the system, respectively, on a five-point scale. Conclusion: The developed health worker performance assessment tool will improve health workers' performance assessment on Tororo General Hospital’s immunisation program. Adopting the tool will lead to improved service delivery, increased utilisation of vaccination opportunities at both outreaches and facility, accountability, learning, and improved decision-making
The spatial – Temporal Relationship between Land Use / Land Cover changes and Microclimates in the Kigezi Highlands Region, Uganda
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Environment and Natural Resources of Makerere University.The current study was carried out to establish the spatial and temporal relationship between land use / land cover (LULC) changes and highland microclimates in Uganda, with Kabale district as the study area. The objectives of the study were; to quantify all LULC changes that have taken place since 1990, establish the variations in rainfall and temperature over the same period and establish if there is significant (α=0.05) covariation between the changes in LULC and those in the climate variables.
Landsat images for the years; 1995, 2003, 2011, 2016 and 2021 were acquired from the United States Geographical Survey (USGS) website (https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/) and reduced to the geographical extent of Kabale district. These were classified to develop land cover maps with classes; Open Water, Developed Area, Wetland, Agricultural Land, Forest and Bare Land. Transition matrices were developed to explain the changes from one class to another over the years. Using ArcMap software, 300 random points were picked from the area of interest and overlayed on classified rasters as well as rainfall and temperature geotiff images to extract the underlying data. This data was acquired from the Makerere University Earth Observations Lab. The data variables were; the LULC class at the time, the annual rainfall recorded that year, and maximum temperature for the year. For each period, an analysis of variance was run to establish if the mean rainfall / temperature for the period was dependent on the LULC class the data collection point fell in.
Results of the study revealed that between 1995 and 2003, there was a reduction in wetlands (44.1%) and forests (62%), with increasing agricultural land (15.2%) and developed area (2.8%), a trend that was reversed between 2003 and 2021. At α=0.05, rainfall increased insignificantly (P=0.456), while temperature increased significantly (P<0.01) over the period. Different LULC recorded significantly different (α=0.05) rainfall and temperature with all P-values less than 0.05 (appendices 2 and 4). Wetlands and open water recorded the most rainfall and lowest temperature, while developed area and forest had the least rainfall and warmest temperatures.
From the study results, it was established that changes in LULC have contributed significantly to the emergence of current microclimates. Therefore, efforts to establish green spaces and restore degraded natural ecosystems are needed in curbing the impacts of the changing climate, especially heat waves
Assessment of potential areas for eco-tourism development in Rakai district.
No full textA dissertation submitted to the directorate of research and graduate training for the award of the degree of Master of Science in Geographical Information Technologies of Makerere University.Eco-tourism, a form of tourism that emphasizes sustainable practices and the conservation of
natural environments, has gained global attention as a viable means of promoting economic
development while preserving the ecological integrity of a region. Eco-tourism is a sustainable
form of tourism that focuses on experiencing and conserving natural environments, has gained
significant global recognition in recent years. Its potential to contribute to local economies,
conservation efforts, and community development has made it an attractive option for countries
rich in biodiversity and natural landscapes, such as Uganda. .
Uganda, a country with its rich biodiversity and stunning natural landscapes, has a great potential
for eco-tourism development. However, despite Uganda's vast potential for eco-tourism, the
country is yet to fully identify and harness suitable areas for such endeavors.
The current state of eco-tourism in Uganda is relatively nascent, with limited tourism sites and a
lack of comprehensive strategies for eco-tourism development. The potential areas for ecotourism remain largely unexplored, hindering the growth of this sustainable sector and the
realization of its benefits for local communities and the environment.
In order to address these challenges and unlock the potential of eco-tourism in Uganda, there is a
pressing need for systematic assessments and planning for potential eco-tourism sites using
geographical information systems (GIS) and other relevant tools
Lodge concessions and wildlife conservation in Uganda: a case study of Queen Elizabeth National Park
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Science in Environment and Natural Resources of Makerere UniversityConcessions are one of the many market-based approaches known as Tourism User Fees that generate revenues from conservation based - tourism enterprises such as lodges which can be directed towards supporting conservation. In Uganda, managers of conservation areas such as National Parks partly depend on lodge concessions for their conservation needs. This study was conducted at Queen Elizabeth National Park to investigate the impacts of lodge concession on wildlife conservation. The objectives were; 1) To examine the nature of concession agreements in QENP, 2) To assess compliance with guidelines and effects of lodge concession on wildlife conservation in Queen Elizabeth National Park and 3) To examine the challenges in the implementation of lodge concession agreements with respect to wildlife conservation in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. A field cross sectional survey of conducted basing on lodges with concession and all the stakeholders from UWA was conducted.
Data were collected using structured questionnaires comprising close and open-ended questions and Key Informant Interviews.
Data were analyzed in SPSS version 24. Quantitative data were summarized into averages, frequencies and percentages. Ordinal regression was carried out to determine the associations were established between knowledge and existence of guidelines and the sex of the respondents since the dependent variable (Guidelines are in place and are known) was ranked from strongly agree (rank 5) to strongly disagree (rank 1) was fit for this type of analysis. Correspondence Analysis was carried out to establish the impacts and challenges faced by different Lodge Concessions. The study revealed that the concessions in QENP are Lodges and water-based cruises. Concession period ranges from 10 to 30 years. Although there are clearly set guidelines for each concessionaire and Government efforts to enforce them, lodge concessions have negatively affected the environment and wildlife conservation within QENP. There were non-compliances with the guidelines by some concessionaires. The impacts on wildlife like disturbance of animal migration, changes natural habitant of animals and others. Conservation is attributed to weak enforcement of concession guidelines and the existence of the challenges that limit their implementation. The concessions face challenges that limit effective implementation of the concession guidelines put in place by UWA. Failure to address the challenges will affect biodiversity conservation, preclude sustainable use of wildlife and negatively affect Conservation
Computing the Artin component using Reconstruction Algebras.
No full textA Thesis Submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics of Makerere University.This thesis studies noncommutative resolutions of non-Gorenstein singularities and uses them to construct classical deformation spaces. In the first part, it recovers the Artin component of the deformation space of a cyclic surface singularity using only the quiver of the corresponding reconstruction algebra. The relations of the reconstruction algebra are then deformed, and the deformed relations together with variation of
the Geometric Invariant Theory (GIT) quotient achieve the simultaneous resolution. This extends work of Brieskorn, Kronheimer, Grothendieck, Cassens–Slodowy and Crawley-Boevey–Holland into the setting of singularities C^2/H with H \leq GL(2, C), and furthermore gives a prediction for what is true more generally.
Additionally, outside the toric setting, the thesis demonstrates the construction of simultaneous resolution for determinantal surfaces, which are a specific type of rational surface singularities. The main new difference to the above case is that, in addition to the quiver of the reconstruction algebra, certain noncommutative relations, namely those of the canonical algebra of Ringel, are required. All the relations of the reconstruction algebra except the canonical relation are then deformed, and these deformed relations together with variation of the GIT quotient achieve the simultaneous resolution.GRAID program, ERC Consolidator Grant 101001227 (MMiMMa)
Direct oxidative carboxylation of olefins catalyzed by iron-based polyoxometalate metal organic frameworks
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Science in Chemistry of Makerere University.The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2), into value-added products such as cyclic carbonates is of academic and industrial interest. The cyclic carbonates have various industrial applications although they are usually produced from epoxides using environmentally unfriendly processes. This study presents a green approach for production of cyclic carbonates from readily available olefins catalyzed by iron-based polyoxometalate metal organic framework (FePOM@MOF). The FePOM@MOF catalyst was characterized using different techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), Zetasizer, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The catalysed oxidative carboxylation process was carried out in a stainless-steel autoclave reactor and the products were analysed using GC-MS and GC-FID against biphenyl as the internal standard. The optimal reaction conditions were determined using response surface methodology with styrene as the model substrate and hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. Under optimal condition of catalyst load (0.075 g), reaction time (7 hours), CO2 pressure (20 bars), and reaction temperature (60 ℃), the process achieved a styrene conversion of 78.1%, styrene carbonate selectivity of 64.2% and yield of 50.1%. When the FePOM@MOF catalyst was tested on styrene derivatives such methylstyrene and chlorostyrene, the catalytic system produced the desired cyclic carbonates in 50.7% and 43.9% yield respectively. On the other hand, when that catalyst was tested on 1-hexene and cyclohexene olefin substrates, the cyclic carbonate yields produced were 18.5% and 16.5% respectively and these were inferior compared to the results obtained with styrene and its derivatives. The catalytic system was also found recoverable at the end of the reaction and reused without significant loss in catalytic reactivity
Utilization of collaborative tools in enhancing research knowledge sharing at Gulu university, Uganda
No full textA dissertation submitted to the directorate of research and graduate training in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master of Science in Information Science of Makerere UniversityThe changes brought about by collaborative tools are a clear signal for universities to move towards adoption of collaborative tools for research knowledge sharing. This is because research knowledge sharing widens knowledge bases, which promote reuse. Despite the aforementioned, Gulu university faces the challenge of transforming researchers’ activities using Information Communication Technologies such as collaborative tools to achieve the objective of knowledge sharing. Therefore, the study sought to establish strategies that would facilitate the utilization of collaborative tools in enhancing research knowledge sharing. The target population comprised of lecturers and postgraduate students totaling 232 that participated in quantitatively; while qualitative respondents’ librarians and staff from the Directorate of Information Communication Technology totaling to 20. It attempted to identify collaborative tools, their contribution, challenges and strategies. A case study design was adopted using mixed methods among lecturers and students; librarians and directorate of ICT staff at Gulu University. Questionnaires, interview guides and observation were adopted for the study. Questionnaires were administered amongst 96 lecturers and 136 postgraduate students using simple random sampling. The findings indicate that varieties of collaborative tools are utilized because of availability of technologies and internet access. It was further established that collaborative tools have helped in networking and achieving common goals among researchers in universities. The absence of adequate infrastructure such as internet bandwidth and power supply has limited connectivity. It was observed that establishment of an institutional policy basing on the national ICT policy helped individuals to seek collaborative tools in order to accomplish a specific task despite slow internet connectivity. The study concluded that providing policy strategy framework that enhances research knowledge sharing among postgraduate students and a lecture in universities is a right step in the right direction. The researcher recommended that universities should develop a policy that would promote and encourage use of collaborative tools by both graduate students and lecturers; to create and share research knowledge. Once the policy is put in place, it will aid in the proper management of collaborative tools and enable knowledge sharin
Determinants of women’s enrolment in Uganda peoples defense forces: a case of Bombo barracks
No full textA dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of a Master of Arts in Gender and Women Studies of Makerere UniversityThe study investigated the Determinants of women’s enrollment in Uganda people’s defense forces. The specific objectives included: examining the recruitment process women go through to join the army; analyze the barriers that affect women's enrollment in the Army; and examine ways of enabling women's enrollment in the Army. Methodologically, the study used qualitative methods of data collection, with a sample of 15 army participants. The major tools of data collection were key informant interview guide and Document review. Study findings indicated that women joined the army through application after advertisement and influence from those who are in the army. The major reasons why they joined the army is because of the need to earn an income, patriotism as well as peer influence. The qualifications needed for one to join the army include having senior four certificates upwards as well as national identity card, being in good health, among others. Though enrollment was open to everyone, women applicants were often despised, discouraged, discriminated and often questioned why they were entering a masculine vocation. Such perception about women enrolling in the army reflects the patriarchal attitudes society more especially men had toward women. Such patriarchal influence against women enrolling in the army contributed to low numbers of women in the army. The study suggests sensitizing society more especially men to accept and appreciate women’s participation as army officers. This will help get rid of stereotypes that negatively affect women from enrolling in the army
Assessment of fire emergency preparedness of primary and secondary boarding schools in Jinja District and City, Uganda
No full textIntroduction
Fire emergencies in boarding schools are a critical public health challenge, an overall average of up to 1,007 incidents of fire are registered in Uganda annually, with up to 17 of these incidents occurring in schools/other learning institutions annually. Several consequences of fire outbreaks, including injuries, loss of lives and destruction of property, have been reported among schools in Uganda, this therefore requires a substantial level of preparedness in terms of its prevention, management and recovery. This study therefore assessed fire emergency preparedness of primary and secondary boarding schools in Jinja district and city to generate evidence-based recommendations to improve the safety of staff and learners in boarding schools.
Methodology
A mixed-method cross-sectional study was conducted in all 197 schools that provide boarding facilities in Jinja district and city- Uganda. Quantitative data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered among 197 participants comprising one purposively selected school Headteacher or next of kin per boarding school. In addition, an observational checklist was also used to check for the availability and functionality of fire safety measures in each school. For qualitative data, we conducted eight key informant interviews using interview guide. Quantitative data was captured using android mobile phones in Kobo collect application, exported to Excel 2016 for data cleaning and then transferred to STATA software version 14.1 for statistical analysis. A modified Poisson regression analysis was then conducted to establish the association between the independent factors and the level of fire preparedness among schools. Meanwhile, qualitative data was audio recorded, transcribed, and thematically analysed using NVIVO.
Results
Out of the 197 schools in this study, the majority, 62.94% (124/197) were primary schools, about two-thirds 67.51% (133/197), were privately owned. More than three quarters, 77.66% (153/197) had not registration to provide boarding facilities. Majority of the schools 90.36% (178/197) had never experienced a fire outbreak, most of them 77.66% (153/197) did not have annual budget/ financial allocations for fire safety and more than two thirds 82.23% (162/197) did not have fire safety management and mitigation policies. Notably, most schools (82.74% (163/197) did not conduct regular training on fire safety for learners and teachers. More than three quarters 92.39% (182/197) did not have fire safety signages and the majority 71.57% (141/197) did not have fire extinguishers/functional fire extinguishers.
Most of the boarding schools, 82% (162/197) were inadequately prepared for fire emergencies. Schools that had undergone due registration as boarding schools were 20% more likely to be adequately prepared for a fire emergency than schools that had not undergone registration (APR = 1.19, C.I = 1.09-1.29, p-value = 0.000). Similarly, schools that annually allocate financial resources/budget for fire safety were 20%more likely to be adequately prepared for fire emergencies as compared to those that did not (APR = 1.22, C.I = 1.03-1.44, p-value = 0.022).
Conclusion and recommendations
Generally, most of the schools were inadequately prepared for fire emergencies. The preparedness level was associated with the school's registration status and annual financial allocation for fire safety. Therefore, the Ministry of Education and Sports should prioritize interventions that align with strict compliance/ registration for schools to offer boarding facilities and school authorities should allocate sufficient annual funding specifically for fire safety measures