Mak IR Repository (Makerere University)
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Information communication technology and community policing in Uganda: a case of Uganda Police Force
No full textA research paper submitted to the Department of Political Science and Public Administration in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master’s Degree in Defence and Security Studies of Makerere University, KampalaICT in the field of Community Policing (CP) may improve the performance of the interventions, crime prevention plans, the effectiveness of communication, the social engagement or even the public image of police forces, among many other aspects. Nevertheless, it may also bring undesired and/or unexpected consequences and risks in the context of security management, which affects both police officers and citizens. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can contribute to achieve an inclusive and ‘democratic’ style of community policing that facilitates police officers to better respond to communities’ needs and expectations in a fair manner. On the other hand, the intensiveness of the data processing, their networked nature and the uncontrolled flows of information expose not only the most directly involved participants but also any identifiable person affected. Facing such challenges requires a thorough analysis and assessment of the planned innovations, with a multi-step approach that intervenes before, during and after the implementation. The prior evaluation of the project helps to avoid the most remarkable incompatibilities; the oversight of the work in progress addresses the effects of elements and details that only appear once the project is being developed; finally, a periodic replicable assessment of the new systems provides a picture of the actual results on the long term. Measuring the impact of ICT in CP is a necessary action that ensures the achievement of beneficial outcomes, nourishing positive community-police relationships while minimizing negative externalities such as bias, discrimination or a negative impact on social cohesion. The present work aims at filling this gap through the construction of an ethical framework in this field based on both the results of desk research activities and empirical fieldwork. The first provide an ethical framework for technology-mediated community policing by identifying, compiling and analysing preceding cases, successes and failures, and key factors to be considered. The second sheds light on specific ethical considerations and socio-cultural settings
The determinants of inflation in Uganda
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 Economic Policy and Planning of Makerere UniversityThe study intended to extend the discussion of the determinants of inflation in Uganda – an assertion that there is positive long run relationship of inflation and Macro and Micro Monetised Policies as Key determinants of consumer price changes. This follows not only the perpetual surge in inflation that hampered inclusive growth in the previous decades in Uganda, but also the inconclusiveness, and mixed findings, which characterize the available scholarly evidence regarding the key determinants of inflation in Uganda. Annual time series data from 1989 to 2019 from WDI database of the World Bank, and Bank of Uganda was used to test for the validity of this relationship. Utilizing the ARDL modelling techniques coupled with its associated ARDL bounds test for cointegration, this study’s key findings, this study recommends that Bank of Uganda, Government and Development partners should enhance more contractionary monetary policies, more support to indigenous investors, pursuing low and stable interest rates to attain macroeconomic stability
Assessing agency banking performance in Uganda in Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA) bank Uganda Limited
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 Business Administration of Makerere UniversityThe researcher analyzed agency banking performance in Uganda in Amalgamated Banks Of South Africa (Absa) Bank Uganda Limited. The study was guided by three objectives to establish the factors shaping agency banking in Uganda, to evaluate the challenges affecting agency banking performance for Absa Bank in Uganda and to explore the modalities of improving agency Banking performance for Absa in Uganda. The researcher adopted a descriptive research design and employed a quantitative approach. Questionnaires were the main tool used in data collection, focusing on gathering numerical data. The population for this study consisted of staff at Absa Bank Uganda Limited. The study found that several factors influence agency banking performance for Absa Bank in Uganda, including regulatory policies, customer demand, security, consumer education, and customer feedback. It highlighted the importance of regulatory guidelines from the Central Bank of Uganda in shaping agency banking, with most respondents agreeing on their impact. Customer demand, driven by financial needs and preferences, was also crucial, along with the need for robust security measures to build trust. Furthermore, raising awareness about agency banking services and educating consumers was seen as essential. The study also emphasized the challenges faced by Absa Bank, including regulatory compliance, customer education, and managing feedback, with many respondents agreeing that addressing these issues could improve agency banking performance in Uganda. The study recommends that for the successful growth of agency banking in Uganda, institutions should focus on ensuring regulatory compliance, investing in reliable technology infrastructure, and providing comprehensive agent training and ongoing support. It highlights the importance of adapting strategies to local market conditions, advocating for supportive regulatory frameworks, and enhancing user experience through modern technology. Regular assessments should be conducted to adjust strategies in response to changing circumstances, ensuring continued success
A comparison of design and actual traffic levels and its likely impact on the pavement premature failure : case study of Gulu – Atiak – Nimule Highway
No full textA thesis submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a Master of Science in Construction Management of Makerere University.The Gulu-Atiak-Nimule highway was constructed and completed to a flexible pavement standard in the year 2015 and opened to traffic that traverses this highway from mainly Kenya, Tanzania via Uganda to South Sudan. The anticipated increase in traffic volumes and especially heavy axle load trucks might have brought the road pavement to a premature failure. The road is currently short of its structural capacity, highly distressed and showing signs of failure. This is affecting the flow of traffic and increasing operational costs coupled with the fact that a number of accidents have been reported resulting from a number of distresses such as potholes, cracks, edge shoulder drops, rutting, ravelling, and failed sections of the road. This research study involved carrying out traffic surveys, axle load surveys and road condition assessment surveys. The traffic surveys involved manual classified seven consecutive day count for 12 hours and 24 hours. The 24-hour count was carried out for 2 days, with 1 day within the week and 1 other day within the weekend. The axle load survey was done at the fixed weighbridge at Elegu near the South Sudan boarder. The condition assessment was undertaken using the ASTM D6433 method that involved visual inspections and recording of distresses observed on the pavement surface and qualifying them. Results from the study indicated that the current Average Daily Traffic (ADT) and Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) are 2604 and 2939 Vehicles per day respectively. Heavy traffic alone consisting of mainly truck trailers and semi-trailers constituted 29% of the total traffic volume. The Cumulative Equivalent Million Standard Axle for the year 2024 was calculated and obtained as 1.285million ESA which is a T3 Traffic Design Class. The comparison of these volumes to that considered at design reflected a traffic growth rate of 14% and yet that at design, the growth rate was taken at 6% per year for the first 10years. The axle load survey results indicated that the average weigh of heavy traffic was 43.025tons and this generated a damaging factor to the pavement of 2.973. The pavement condition evaluation carried out, indicated that the Pavement Condition Index and International Roughness Index for the Gulu–Ataik sectional link was 38 and 4.0m/km respectively; while that of Ataik –Nimule section registered PCI and IRI of 64 and 3.5m/Km respectively. This study has revealed that the current traffic volume is high totalling to 2604vpd, with 29% of this being attributed to heavy traffic and therefore increased million standard axles. The section from Gulu–Ataik was in a poor condition and hence required rehabilitation to further extend the pavement life; while that of Atiak-Nimule was in a fair to good condition and required routine maintenance.sel
Impact of public borrowing on private investment: a case study of Uganda, 1980 – 2023
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 Economic Policy and Planning of Makerere UniversityPublic Investment Finance is of great importance as the government seeks to strike a balance between the fiscal space and meeting government expenditures. The recent catastrophes that affected economies that were greatly supporting low-income Countries like Uganda have further exacerbated the need to borrow funds locally which is sought to be disastrous to the economy as it crowds out resources for private investment.
This study sought to examine the impact of public borrowing on private investment employing time series data for the period 1980 – 2023. The study employed the Auto Regressive Distribution Lag (ARDL) model to estimate the long-run and short-run regression relationship of the independent variables on the dependent variable (private investment). From the ARDL model, it is estimated that the speed of adjustment was estimated at 54.9 per cent. The key variable of interest of the public borrowing was observed that in the short run and long run there was a negative and significant relationship with gross capital formation which was used to estimate private investment. In the long run, a 1 per cent increase in public debt reduced private investment by 0.183 per cent, this is significant at 1 per cent. Similarly in the short run, a 1 percent increase in public debt increased private investment by 0.2 percent significant at 5 percent.
This study recommended that funds borrowed to finance government budget deficits should be invested wisely to achieve a positive public good as it can cripple private investment if not used according to purpose. The study also recommended further investigations into the domestic borrowing and private-sector investment phenomenon
Phenotypic characterization of bacterial species associated with periodontitis among patients attending Makerere, Mengo and Mulago Paramedical Dental Clinics in Kampala, Uganda
No full textA research dissertation submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Master Of Science in Immunology and Clinical Microbiology of Makerere University.Periodontitis is a prevalent dental disease often linked to bacterial infections, leading to inflammation and the deterioration of tissues supporting the teeth. The disease caused by pathogenic microbes forming biofilms in the mouth and resistant to antibiotics, posing a significant public health challenge. However, there is limited data on the bacterial species associated with periodontitis in Kampala, Uganda. This study was to determine the phenotypic characterization of bacterial species associated with periodontitis among patients attending the Makerere, Mengo and Mulago Paramedical School Dental Clinics. 69 suspected patients with periodontitis participated in the study. Clinical and demographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire by our interviewers. The patients provided subgingival plaque samples, collected with Amie’s transport medium with a sterile cotton swab. The swabs were placed into an Thioglycollate broth for 5-7days cultured in an enriched medium, using the Columbia Blood Agar Base with and supplemented with 5% Sheep Blood. Plates were placed in an aerobic and anaerobic environment, both plates were incubated at 37°C for 18-72 hours and bacterial species were isolated and examined using various methods, Gram staining, biofilm analysis, biochemical testing, the MALDI-TOF and Phoenix machines. In the studies we discovered 22/69 participants were diagnosed with periodontitis with a greater rates associated with poor oral hygiene and co-existing health conditions. Male patients and those with systemic illnesses demonstrated more severe periodontal damage. Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium necrophorum, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were identified as key pathogens responsible for inflammation and tissue loss. Antibiotic susceptibility tests using the Phoenix revealed that Metronidazole, Clindamycin, Amoxicillin and Tetracycline had Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MIC). This shows that these antibiotics may be useful in treating resistant or recurring periodontitis. Periodontal disease is very common in Uganda, emphasizing the need for oral health programs to help educate the younger generation. The findings emphasize the importance of performing MIC tests to guide antibiotic selection. Alternative approaches are advised for identifying bacterial species linked with periodontal diseases. That environmental factors also play a role in the severity and treatment response of periodontal disease
CD133 protein expression in primary liver cancer; associated demographic and histopathological characteristics in 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 Medicine in Pathology of Makerere UniversityPrimary liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality. Globally, it is the 6th most common cancer and the 3rd most common cause of cancer deaths. In Uganda, liver cancer is the 7th most common cancer and 4th most common cause of cancer deaths. Despite recent advances in its treatment, resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, relapse, and metastasis remain a challenge. Recent evidence has linked cancer stem cells (CSCs) with tumorigenicity, treatment resistance, relapse, and metastasis of several cancers including liver cancer. CSCs have been identified by several markers, CD133 protein being one of the most studied. There is no information characterizing CD133 protein expression in liver cancer in Uganda. Characterizing it will provide baseline information that will be used to stratify primary liver cancer patients based on its expression, and potentially improve prognostication and enable CD133 targeted therapy. Objective: This study sought to determine the prevalence of CD133 protein expression in primary liver cancer (PLC) and establish its association with age, sex, histological types, and grades in Uganda. Methods: A cross sectional laboratory-based study on archived formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) liver tissue blocks from patients histologically diagnosed with PLC at the departments of pathology of Makerere University Kampala (MUK), Mulago National Referral Hospital (MNRH), and Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) from 2017 to 2022 were used, the sample size was 86, a semiquantitative technique to score CD133 protein expression was used, and data was analysed using STATA version 16. Results: The mean age of patients from which specimens were collected was 44years with standard deviation of 16years. Most of the patients were males, 55(64.0%). The majority, 42(48.8%) of the patient specimens were poorly differentiated. Most, 77(89.5%) had hepatocellular carcinoma. Of all the 86 cases, 76(88.4%) were positive for CD133 protein expression while 10(11.6%) were negative, 23(26.7%) had a high expression while 53(61.6%) had a low expression. Conclusion: The prevalence of CD133 protein expression in PLC in Uganda was 88.4%. CD133 protein expression reduced as histological grade increased. Sex, age, and histological type did not affect CD133 protein expression in PLC in Uganda
Factors associated with HIV virological non-suppression among HIV positive children aged o-14 years on antiretroviral treatment at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital: Retrospective Cohort Study
No full textBackground: Virological suppression is critical to treatment success and reducing child morbidity and mortality. However, children continue to register low virological suppression of 41% in comparison to 70% suppression among adults. This study therefore assessed the factors associated with virological non-suppression among HIV-positive children (0-14) years receiving antiretroviral therapy.
Methods: The study was conducted at the pediatric HIV/AIDS clinic at Jinja Regional Referral Hospital and used a retrospective cohort study design through the review of medical records of children from 2019-2021; and a cross-sectional study to explore the experiences of health workers and caregivers of children with virological non-suppression. 221 children were enrolled in the cohort study and their medical records were reviewed. Hazard ratios were used to measure the association between virological non-suppression and child-clinical related factors. The hazard ratios were obtained using Cox proportional hazard model with 95% confidence intervals. Qualitative data was transcribed verbatim and typed into Microsoft Word. Transcribed data was then imported into ATLAS ti 6 for coding and determining emergent themes. Thematic analysis using the inductive approach was used.
Results: The incidence rate of virological non-suppression among children aged 0 to 14 on ART was 12 per 1000 person-months, following 24 months of ART initiation. Poor adherence (aHR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.20-0.81; p=0.01) was the child-related factor associated with virological non-suppression following 24 months of ART initiation. The qualitative findings from the health workers’ experiences revealed that factors such as heavy staff workload, challenges in disclosure, difficulties in accessing the health facility, and having multiple caregivers were related to virological non-suppression among children. From the caregivers’ experiences, factors such as stigma, gender-based violence, failure to disclose the HIV status to children and household members; and financial challenges were related to virological non-suppression among children.
Conclusion: HIV viral load non-suppression among children receiving ART is associated with poor adherence. The qualitative findings revealed that stigma, Gender based violence, non-disclosure by caregivers, heavy staff workload, and difficulties in accessing the health facility, and financial challenges contribute to poor adherence. Poor adherence should be addressed through interventions and strategies by HIV Program managers to improve viral suppression rate
Determinants of completion of immunization among children aged 12-23 months in Northern Uganda
No full textA dissertation submitted to the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of Master of Statistics of Makerere UniversityAlthough childhood immunization coverage in Uganda has improved since 2006, full coverage of age-appropriate vaccines remains below the WHO recommended vaccine coverage of at least 90%. This study aimed at identifying the determinants of immunization completion among children aged 12-23 months in Northern Uganda.
This study analyzed data of 567 children aged 12–23 months from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey (UDHS). The outcome of the study was full immunization, defined as receiving all the WHO recommended basic vaccines by the age of 12 months. Bivariate analysis of factors associated with full immunization was done using adjusted Chi-square tests for complex sample surveys, while the multivariable analysis was done using binary Logistic regression model to establish the relationship between mother-related (socio-demographic, economic), child related factors and full immunization among children aged 12-23 months.
Full immunization coverage among children aged 12–23 months in Northern Uganda was only 61.9%. Multivariable Logistic Regression revealed significant association between immunization completion and being from Lango sub region compared to the children in Karamoja sub-region (OR=0.386, 95% CI 0.21-0.73, P=0.04). Implying that children from the Lango sub-region were 61% less likely to be fully immunized compared to children from Karamoja indicating a significant disparity in immunization rates between the two sub-regions. The odds of a child born at the hospital being fully immunized were 2.05 times higher than children born at home (OR=2.053, 95% CI 1.37, 3.08, P=<0.001).
Given the significant sub-regional disparities identified in immunization coverage among children aged 12-23 months in Northern Uganda, targeted interventions should be implemented in the Lango sub-region to address the specific challenges hindering immunization completion. These initiatives could involve community engagement, awareness campaigns, and improved accessibility to vaccination services. And hospital-based deliveries should be encouraged as a strategy to improve immunization rates during community engagement and awareness campaigns
A model for ehealth adoption in Uganda : a case of Smartlink
No full textA dissertation submitted to the College of Computing and Information Sciences in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of a Degree of Master of Science in Information Systems of Makerere University.The adoption of ehealth can potentially enhance healthcare performance in Uganda because of benefits like reduced errors in patient records, information sharing across healthcare providers, enhancement of e-commerce in health, reduced paperwork, reduced costs, access to up-to-date health information, e-prescriptions, clinical decision support systems, organized information sharing among departments, enhanced administrative systems, and efficient maintenance of hospital services. Despite the above benefits, there is still low adoption of ehealth systems and this has created a big gap in healthcare delivery. The low adoption has been brought about by many factors including lack of management support, lack of financial support, failure to realize the benefits of ehealth, incomplete implementation, high cost of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and lack of trust in ehealth systems. The main objective of this study was to design a model for e-Health adoption in Uganda, a case of Smartlink that would explain the adoption of ehealth in Uganda. Using a cross sectional survey, the researcher sampled 246 participants from the healthcare facilities that use Smartlink using the Taro Yamane formula. Data was collected using a questionnaire distributed among the selected participants using an online link and the valid response rate was 82%. The study extended an ehealth adoption framework for developing countries by incorporating factors such as security, benefits and innovation to support e-Health adoption in Uganda. The study revealed several factors for e-health adoption in Uganda and key findings indicated that management support, organizational factors, socio-cultural factors, technology, socio-demographic factors, financial factors, ethical & legal factors, benefits, security and innovation positively influence e-health adoption. The findings also revealed that full adoption of e-health combination of many factors that must be well balanced to achieve the intended goal and by addressing these factors, stakeholders can enhance the adoption and effectiveness of eHealth solutions, ultimately leading to better health outcomes and a more efficient healthcare system. In order to enhance the adoption of e-health in Uganda, the study recommends a longitudinal study that would provide robust data on the long-term effectiveness, engagement, and impact of digital health interventions. This would further provide insights that are crucial for developing, refining, and scaling eHealth solutions to improve health outcomes, enhance user experience, and inform ehealth adoption policies