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Predictors of research productivity of academic staff in Kyambogo University: an empirical study based on Mantikayan and Abdulgani’s (2018) Model
(The Uganda Higher Education Review, 2023-05-05) Komba, Rwakijuma Leticia ; Bakkabulindi, Fred E. K.; Onen, David
The research productivity (RP) of academic staff is of utmost significance
as it contributes to the advancement of knowledge, enhances institutional
reputation, facilitates funding opportunities, improves teaching quality,
and enhances societal impact. In this research we aimed to investigate the
predictors of RP among academic staff at Kyambogo University (KyU). Based on Mantikayan and Abdulgani’s (2018) model, we had four study objectives: to examine whether ascriptive, individual, leadership, and institutional
factors predicted RP. Using a positivist research paradigm and a predictive
cross-sectional survey design, data was collected through a questionnaire
survey from 165 academic staff. Multiple linear regression was employed
for data analysis. The findings revealed that ascriptive, leadership and
institutional factors did not significantly predict RP. However, under the
individual factor, it was found that only the constructs of motivation and
research skills were significant and positive predictors of RP. The study
concluded that Mantikayan and Abdulgani’s model lacked a comprehensive
explanation of RP among academic staff at KyU. Therefore, there is a need
for further research to develop a more inclusive model or framework that
can capture the diverse factors influencing RP within the specific context.
Most significant changes from women’s economic empowerment and pathways from Ugandan women in the agro-value chain
(Discover Global Society, 2025-11-07) Kwiringira, Japheth Nkiriyehe; Amuge, Grace Esther; Okimait, David; Perry, Elizabeth W.; Nakalyowa, Luggya Deborah; Isabirye, Alone; Otim, Jude; Ganafa, Sumani; Rujumba, Joseph; Zakumumpa, Henry; Mugisha, James
Traditional evaluation models often rely on predefined indicators set by program designers, limiting the ability to capture emerging and lived outcomes. This study examines the impact of Women’s Economic Empowerment from beneficiaries’ perspectives using the Most Significant Change approach. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in Kampala and Wakiso, Uganda, utilizing focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and in-depth interviews among adult women who had waned off WEE support, supplemented by a literature review. Thematic analysis identified (5) significant domains of change at the waning of women’s economic empowerment support, including increased responsibility, community respect, improved mental health, stronger family relations, and enhanced confidence and agency. Challenges such as polygamous relationships, competitive dynamics, and the effects of COVID-19 hindered women’s empowerment outcomes. Pathways to significant change were: goal setting, peer and family support, resilience, and self-recognition of progress. Findings suggest that women’s empowerment should not focus solely on economic empowerment but must also address social and political dimensions of power, participation and inclusion. Women valued respect over power. Sustainable empowerment requires the active inclusion of men to mitigate adversarial gender dynamics. These findings reflect the need for inclusive development approaches to attain lasting societal progress.
Customary land acquisition and tenure security in refugee-host communities: an impact assessment
(African Journal on Land Policy and Geospatial Sciences, 2025-10-14) Nagujja, Sophia Lukabwe
Context 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.
Ecological and human Health risks from potentially toxic elements in environmental matrices of kiteezi landfill, Uganda
(Journal of Xenobiotics, 2025-11-04) Ebbu, Emmanuel; Irene Nalumansi; Ivan Kiganda; Caroline Kiwanuka Nakiguli; Patrick Onen; Simon Ocakacon; Christopher Adaku; Timothy Omara; Emmanuel Ntambi
By the time of this study, Kiteezi landfill was Uganda’s largest waste disposal site and received substantial volumes of municipal solid waste. In the present study, water (n = 36), leachates (n = 36), superficial sediments (n = 30), and Colocasia esculenta corms (n = 6) were sampled from Kiteezi landfill in the dry and wet seasons of 2022 before its tragic collapse in 2024. The physicochemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, temperature, and oxidation–reduction potential) and concentration of potentially toxic elements (As, Cu, Cr, Pb, and Zn) were analyzed using standard methods and inductively coupled plasmaoptical emission spectrometry, respectively.
Significant seasonal variations (p < 0.05) were observed for all the physicochemical parameters of water and leachates except temperature.
Further, significantly higher concentrations (p < 0.05) of potentially toxic elements (PTXEs) were quantified in environmental matrices sampled during the dry season than the wet
season. Arsenic and Pb concentrations in water surpassed their WHO permissible limit of 0.01 mg/L. The concentrations of PTXEs were higher in downstream samples (p < 0.05),
indicating that landfill activities led to their enrichment in matrices near the facility. Ecological and pollution risk indices indicated that there is severe enrichment of Cu and Zn in the sediments, with dry season downstream samples having contamination factors and geoaccumulation indices of 539.3 and 74.7 and 8.5 and 5.6, respectively. Although ingestion
of water may not cause probable health risks, consumption of Colocasia esculenta corms could lead to non-carcinogenic and cancer health risks in both children and adults (hazard
indices = 0.085–189.0 and total cancer risk values of 7.33 × 10−6–4.87 × 10−3). These results emphasize the need that any new replacement for Kiteezi landfill should be properlyplanned and managed to mitigate potential environmental pollution with xenobiotics.
‘Ruins of Memory’: Fort Patiko, the Slave Trade, and Heritage-Based Education in Northern Uganda
(Studies in the African Past, 2025-11-03) Kyazike, Elizabeth; Nelson Abiti
This paper examines the architectural and material remnants of the slave trade at Fort Patiko by interrogating the mechanisms through which the slavery legacy is transmitted to younger generations. Employing a narrative research design grounded in constructivist theory, data was collected through semi-structured interviews, observation, and documentary review. Thematic analysis guided the interpretation of findings. The research reveals that Fort Patiko retains both natural and humanly constructed structures that embody its slave trade history. These include the execution slab, gender-specific prison cells (female and male prisons), Baker’s seat, the “Gate of No Return,” as well as naturally formed trenches and ditches. Additionally, the simsim and millet granaries and an armoury highlight the multilayered functional roles of the site during the height of enslavement in the region. Findings indicate that the transmission of slave trade memory occurs through both formal and informal channels. Formally, the topic is integrated into primary and secondary school curricula. Informally, school-organised visits to the site and oral histories shared by elders contribute to intergenerational memory-making and the cultivation of place-based historical knowledge. The study concludes that the memory of the slave trade constitutes a vital component of Uganda’s cultural heritage. It recommends the continued preservation and transmission of this history as a means of fostering historical consciousness, critical memory and cultural identity among future generations. Furthermore, the study urges the incorporation of heritage-based pedagogies that promote critical engagement with historical injustices and their spatial embodiments.