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Life history interviews from Ethiopia and Uganda, organised around experiences of wage labour, provide rich evidence on the working conditions of many poor, rural women and on what leads them to work for wages. The life histories confirm and illuminate arguments based on large-scale socio-economic surveys carried out in these two countries. Further, findings from the surveys and life histories challenge an influential literature that not only celebrates women's agency in poor rural areas, but also remains committed to methodological individualism and ideas of choice. Drawing on primary and secondary evidence from Africa (and elsewhere), we insist that violent coercion and catastrophe trump maximising rational selection among alternatives; that the social is fundamental to individual behaviour; and the non-market is key to (labour) market participation. We also provide a brief discussion of the policy implications of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides are crucial for increasing agricultural productivity, but they have also been linked to a range of health and environmental risks. In this paper, we used nationally representative data from 557 agro-dealers in Uganda to assess the role of agro-dealer certification in improving knowledge and practices related to environmentally-friendly pest control. We found that almost half of the sampled agro-dealers were not certified or accredited by regulatory bodies, even though this is a prerequisite for selling pesticides in the country. Results further showed that only 16% of the agro-input shops were selling biopesticide products, largely due to a lack of awareness, access and demand from farmers. Regression results showed that certified agro-dealers were 9-12 percentage points more likely to know about biopesticides and integrated pest management, and 8-10 percentage points more likely to sell biopesticide products, compared to their non-certified counterparts. Our findings imply that agro-dealer certification courses can play an important role in raising knowledge and stimulating the supply of environmentally-benign pest control products. We identified regulatory enforcement, a decentralized certification system and agro-dealer associations as some of the potential pathways for incentivising compliance with certification requirements, thereby promoting lower-risk pest control products and strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the certainty of small business (SB) taxpayers about the presumptive tax law concerning the assessment of income tax based on gross turnover and how this impacts their income tax compliance. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted the exploratory research design. The saturation point was attained upon interviewing nine owners of SB enterprises, eight tax officers from the Uganda Revenue Authority and eight tax consultants. Themes were identified and explained using verbatim texts from the various interviews. Data were analyzed using the content analysis technique. Findings: The findings indicate that SB taxpayers are uncertain about the nature of the presumptive tax, that it is assessed based on annual sales, indicators used to determine gross turnover and their actual tax liability. This has occasioned resistance to the tax system and inhibited voluntary compliance. SB taxpayers thus opt to wait for the tax officers to make tax assessments. However, they have used this opportunity to bribe or bargain with tax officers to pay low amounts in tax or no tax at all. Thus, policymakers and revenue authorities ought to concentrate on creating massive sensitization of the law on presumptive tax, in this case, the existing tax base on which the tax is imposed and its elements to improve income tax compliance of SBs. Research limitations/implications: These results are relevant to policymakers and Revenue authorities in developing countries, especially in Africa, in improving income tax compliance of SBs. Originality/value: This study examines the contribution of certainty of the income tax law on the tax base (gross turnover) on which presumptive tax is imposed to income tax compliance of SBs, which has hardly been covered in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the legacy of pre-colonial centralization on tax compliance norms of citizens in contemporary Uganda. Using a regression discontinuity analysis on neighboring ethnic homelands with different levels of pre-colonial centralization, we find that pre-colonial centralization is correlated with stronger norm for tax compliance. The result is explained by the legacy of location-specific capacity of centralized states in upholding authority and a strong social cohesion exhibited through higher interpersonal trust but not through trust in public institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The service sector in Uganda emerged prematurely as the leading driver of economic growth. This was before the country fully industrialised as described under the dual economic development model. Despite the enormous contribution of the service sector to economic growth in Uganda, an empirical analysis of its drivers is still in shortage. The main objective of this study is to examine the drivers of rapid growth in Uganda's service sector using an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and a long annual time series spanning the period 1980-2020. The results of this study showed that the past level of service performance determines how the sector performs at present. Also, the Human Capital Index (HCI), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Gross National Expenditure (GNE) significantly improve service sector growth in both the short run and long run. Also, if the service sector experiences a shock, the sector will adjust to its long-run equilibrium at an adjustment speed of 24.2%. The findings of this study, therefore, highlight the need for government to increase funding for human capital development through investing in the education and healthcare sectors. Further, the government should implement favourable trade policies aimed at attracting more FDI. Foreign investors should be provided free land and tax holidays. Given the important role that the service sector plays in Uganda's economy, a large share of GNE should be directed to the service sector to stimulate its performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using panel data from 2009, 2011, and 2015, this study estimates the impact of rice production training conducted in Uganda on the adoption of improved cultivation practices and productivities of not only training participants but also non-participants. Spillover effects to non-participants in training villages are indicated by increased total rice production by 0.4 tons and expanded cultivation area by 0.26 hectare. Although training increases adoption rates for better cultivation practice, namely, transplanting in rows among training participants, both in the short and long term, there were no measurable improvements in non-participants' rice cultivation knowledge or in rice productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As many African countries promote commercial agricultural production, it is important to understand how this strategy influences the intra-household balance of power. Commercial crops are traditionally considered the domain of men, and women empowerment may suffer. We use a quasi-experimental design to address the relation between commercial production and women's voice within the household in rural Uganda. We compare empowerment in households in an area targeted by a large program stimulating rice as a non-traditional cash crop with similar households elsewhere using double robust regression methods. We conclude that the commercialisation program had a significant negative effect on women empowerment in production and women's control over income, while men's empowerment in those domains increased. We find only weak effects for social empowerment. Based on these results, we recommend that policies and programs to stimulate commercial agricultural production among smallholder include a strong gender component. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between television exposure and women's reproductive behavior in Uganda. There is very little research that has explored the impact of television on the current adoption of modern contraceptives and to our knowledge, no studies have looked at the relationship between family planning programs on TV and the use of modern birth control in Uganda. We find that watching television and specifically watching family planning programs on television is positively associated with the current use of modern contraceptives. Increased frequency of watching TV is also associated with greater use of modern contraceptives. We further find that women exposed to television also changed other aspects of reproductive behavior – preference for a certain number of children and the decision to use any birth control to avoid pregnancy. Our results indicate that continued access to television and family planning programs on television has the potential to alter reproductive behavior and provide women with information and choice to adopt modern methods of birth control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) and other restrictions intensified, individuals, businesses and governments turned to mobile digital platforms to reduce the financial costs and mitigate the risk of spreading the virus within the population. Drawing on lessons from Kenya and Uganda, our study examines the drivers of digital financial inclusion as a pathway for financing post‐COVID‐19 recovery. We find that digital financial inclusion is higher in middle‐aged male digital users with more SIM cards registered in their names. Results also show that users who trust mobile money agents were likely to use more digital financial platforms than others. Based on these results, we recommend the need for government to strengthen the National Identification Systems and consumer protection policies to increase trust in digital financial services. Additionally, financial sector players such as mobile network operators and commercial banks need to innovate and roll out customized digital financial products for the marginalized/unbanked population such as women, the elderly and the youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the performance of agricultural extension managers and the factors influencing it in the case study of Uganda. Secondary data was analysed using descriptive statistics and econometric models. The amount of extension grant received and the education of the extension manager positively influence extension managers' performance, whereas voter turnout has the opposite effect. This study is important for understanding the institutional capacity to implement well-managed and effective public services, such as agricultural extension, which are significant for development. It presents a novel methodology for secondary data analysis, which could be applied to other fields and countries. This study expands the theoretical boundary for analysing performance in agricultural extension by illustrating the use of unique performance indicators that have not been widely applied. The study contributes an innovative method to conceptualise the determinants of extension managers' performance using secondary data. This is the first study to examine the performance of agricultural extension managers as the literature has thus far focused on agricultural field agents and organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, children face an increasing risk of harm from abuse, violence and neglect. Progress towards securing a safe environment for them is slow and uneven. There is a growing need to understand how innovative community‐driven interventions could address sociocultural practices that harm children. In this paper, we evaluated the impact of the community‐driven urban programme on livelihood, income fortification and socio‐civic transformation intervention (UPLIFT) on child protection in Kampala, Uganda. We used a mixed‐method evaluation approach, which incorporated the difference‐in‐difference analysis and Kernel propensity score matching to estimate the programme's impact, and for the analysis of our qualitative data, we used the thematic approach. There were 663 pre‐intervention participants and 559 post‐intervention participants, aged between 13 and 17 years, in the study. Results showed improvements in various aspects of child protection; for example, there was strengthened community responsibility for child protection services and uptake of policy. However, we found undesirable impacts on situations presenting a serious risk of harm to children. We argue that protecting children against harm is a complex process, often rooted in the sociocultural and religious life of communities, and that child protection interventions must be deliberate about identifying and targeting ingrained sociocultural practices that sustain child abuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study examined the nature of the operation of informal savings groups. Emphasis was on their composition, the mode of financial transactions and sharing of financial proceeds, the impact of the savings and members loaning on the members' financial and business growth, and the perception of the members on the benefits of the savings. The study also profiled the significant challenges encountered by the groups. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted an exploratory research design. The point of saturation was achieved after 15 members of informal savings groups were interviewed. Data were analyzed using content analysis techniques with the aid of NVivo version 10 software, and verbatim tests were used to explain the emergent themes. Findings: The findings indicate that informal savings groups are accessible, sustainable and inclusive financing alternatives for low-income earners. Group sizes range from 250 to 3 members. As a sign of commitment, a form of identification is required to join the group. Findings also indicate that group leaders are elected, and their term of service could be renewable. It was discovered that members join mainly to save in financial terms, and they have benefited both monetary and socially. The biggest challenge these groups face is that members default. Practical implications: The study provides evidence that informal financial service providers are an effective alternative to business financing that leverage existing social structures that are predominant in Uganda. Originality/value: The study provides a benchmark for understanding the dynamics, capabilities and challenges impeding the survival and growth of informal savings groups as critical components in Uganda's financial system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After decades of the fight against gender discrimination in Sub-Saharan Africa in general and in Uganda in particular, gender disparities in labor markets persist. This paper provides a new empirical evidence of the gender wage gap in the Uganda labor market. Results show that men continue to enjoy a wage premium over women at the mean and across the wage distribution. Findings further indicate that the gender wage gap is wider at the lower tail of the distribution thereby revealing the existence of a sticky-floor phenomenon in the Ugandan urban labor market. Despite the actions and strategies put in place in Uganda to reduce the gender gap in education and training in the country, human capital variables still have a strong mitigating effect through returns to endowments (discrimination). These results imply that highly feminized jobs should be upgraded given the low representativeness of women in valuable jobs compared to men. Innovative strategies to promote the human capital development of women are also necessary in eliminating gender-based disparities in labor market. Specific public policies are suggested in conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of climatic shock and women empowerment on multidimensional energy poverty using panel data from Uganda National Panel Surveys from 2013/14–2019/20, complemented by the World Bank African Rainfall Climatology version 2 (ARC2) database. We find that climatic shocks increase energy poverty. However, there is great potential in energy poverty alleviation when women are more empowered in relation to men, but it is even greater when both genders are empowered in the same household amidst climatic shocks. Combating the impacts of drought, floods, landslides, and irregular rainfall while enhancing women's economic empowerment avenues should be a priority on the policy agenda for multidimensional energy poverty alleviation in Uganda.Highlights Energy poverty is assessed using a multidimensional approach. Four waves of the Uganda National panel survey and weather data were used Climatic shocks increase energy poverty. Women empowerment reduces energy poverty amidst climatic shocks, more so when both genders are empowered in the same household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, renewable energy technologies, such as solar photovoltaic (PV) contribute significantly to sustainable development. However, adoption of solar PV is limited in many developing countries. Governments have rolled out policy strategies like financial inclusion to stimulate deployment of modern energy technologies. Notwithstanding, little is known about financial inclusion and household solar PV adoption. Using two waves of Uganda National Household Survey data covering 28,913 households, this paper examines the effect of financial inclusion on adoption of solar PV. The study employed logit model and pooled ordinary least squares for estimation. Taking endogeneity into account, we find that financial inclusion has a strong positive effect on solar PV adoption. The estimates show that unit increase in financial inclusion increases the likelihood of residential solar PV adoption by 3.6% (p < 0.01). This finding is consistent across all robustness checks. The findings further suggest that use of mobile money is more important for solar PV adoption. The study identified household income and education as possible pathways through which financial inclusion influences solar PV adoption. Thus, policy makers and renewable energy practitioners should continue prioritizing financial inclusion particularly use of mobile money and financial remittances so as stimulate adoption of solar PV. • The link between financial inclusion and adoption of solar PV in Uganda is examined. • The National Household Survey data for Uganda and logit regression model were used. • We found that financial inclusion increases adoption of solar PV in households. • Income and education are pathways by which financial inclusion affects PV adoption. • Policy on financial inclusion should prioritize use of mobile money and remittances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The East Central (EC) region of Uganda has the least viral suppression rate despite having a relatively low prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although the viral suppression rate in Kamuli district is higher than that observed in some of the districts in the region, the district has one of the largest populations of people living with HIV (PLHIV). We sought to examine the factors associated with viral suppression after the provision of intensive adherence counselling (IAC) among PLHIV in the district.Methods: We reviewed records of PLHIV and used them to construct a retrospective cohort of patients that started and completed IAC during January - December 2019 at three high volume HIV treatment facilities in Kamuli district. We also conducted key informant interviews of focal persons at the study sites. We summarized the data descriptively, tested differences in the outcome (viral suppression after IAC) using chi-square and t-tests, and established independently associated factors using log-binomial regression analysis with robust standard errors at 5% statistical significance level using STATA version 15.Results: We reviewed 283 records of PLHIV. The mean age of the participants was 35.06 (SD 18.36) years. The majority of the participants were female (56.89%, 161/283). The viral suppression rate after IAC was 74.20% (210/283). The most frequent barriers to ART adherence reported were forgetfulness 166 (58.66%) and changes in the daily routine 130 (45.94). At multivariable analysis, participants that had a pre-IAC viral load that was greater than 2000 copies/ml [adjusted Prevalence Risk Ratio (aPRR)= 0.81 (0.70 - 0.93), p=0.002] and those that had a previous history of viral load un-suppression [aPRR= 0.79 (0.66 - 0.94), p=0.007] were less likely to achieve a suppressed viral load after IAC. ART drug shortages were rare, ART clinic working hours were convenient for clients and ART clinic staff received training in IAC.Conclusion: Despite the consistency in drug availability, counselling training, flexible and frequent ART clinic days, the viral suppression rate after IAC did not meet recommended targets. A high viral load before IAC and a viral rebound were independently associated with having an unsuppressed viral load after IAC. IAC alone may not be enough to achieve viral suppression among PLHIV. To improve viral suppression rates after IAC, other complementary services should be paired with IAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prelacteal feeding hinders early initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding but is understudied in Uganda. We examined the prevalence and factors associated with prelacteal feeding among postpartum mothers in Kamuli district in rural eastern Uganda. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2020 and January 2021 at four large healthcare facilities and randomly sampled mother-baby pairs attending postnatal care and immunization clinics. Prelacteal feeding was defined as giving anything to eat or drink to a newborn other than breast milk within the first 0–3 days of life. Data were collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire and summarized using frequencies and percentages. The Chi-squared, Fisher's exact, and Student's t-tests were used for comparison while the factors independently associated with prelacteal feeding were determined using modified Poisson regression analysis, reported as an adjusted prevalence risk ratio (aPRR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Of 875 participants enrolled, 319 (36.5%) practiced prelacteal feeding. The likelihood of prelacteal feeding was lower among participants who were unemployed (aPRR 0.70; 95% CI 0.5, 0.91), married (aPRR 0.71; 95% CI 0.58, 0.87), had received health education on infant feeding practices (aPRR 0.72; 95% CI 0.60, 0.86), had a spontaneous vaginal delivery (aPRR 0.76; 95% CI 0.61, 0.95), had delivered in a health facility (aPRR 0.73; 95% CI 0.60, 0.89), and who knew that prelacteal feeding could lead to difficulties in breathing (aPRR 0.70; 95% CI 0.57, 0.86). Conversely, prelacteal feeding was more likely among participants who had attended antenatal care at a public health facility during the most recent pregnancy (aPRR 2.41; 95% CI 1.71, 3.39) and those who had travelled more than 5 km to a health facility for postnatal care services (aPRR 1.46; 95% CI 1.23, 1.72). Conclusions: The prevalence of prelacteal feeding among postpartum mothers in rural eastern Uganda is slightly higher than the national average. Accordingly, there is a need to continuously educate mothers and staff on infant feeding practices to tackle the factors influencing prelacteal feeding and promote appropriate infant and young child feeding practices as emphasized in the baby-friendly health facility initiative policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With over 70% of households without access to clean energy, Uganda presents a huge potential for increased adoption of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies. However, their uptake is relatively low. This study employs a nationally representative data set from Uganda's National Electrification Survey of 2018 to analyze factors influencing households' choice of solar PV system. Conditional mixed process model was estimated for quantification of associations between flexible payment mechanism, influential persons, access to grid electricity and solar PV adoption in the first stage, then type of solar PV adopted in the second stage. We find that, the determinants of adoption as well as type of solar PV adopted are heterogeneous. Specifically, flexible payment mechanism is positive for uptake of solar home systems and solar kit; Influential people were insignificant in all cases, while grid access was negatively associated with uptake of both solar kits and solar home systems. We further find that, rural residence, income, type of house are significant drivers of solar PV type adopted. Conversely, education attainment was positive and significantly associated with adoption but insignificant for type of solar PV adopted. Sex of household head was significant for uptake of solar kit. Our findings suggest that, solar PV uptake is a rural phenomenon and affordability is the main driver of solar PV type adopted. Flexible payment mechanism enhances the ability of income constrained households to afford relatively expensive solar PV systems. Hence, any policy interventions geared at scaling uptake of solar home systems should address affordability. Solar companies should continue to offer flexible payment modalities and target rural household. • Drivers for adoption solar photovoltaic (PV) devices in Uganda are examined. • Conditional mixed process model is used as main analysis tool in this study. • Flexible payment mechanism rises chance of households adopting solar home systems. • Solar PV devices adoption is largely a rural phenomenon in Uganda. • Policy intervention should focus on addressing affordability issues in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]