MJAMR

The Role of Social Work in Managing Refugee Settlement in Uganda: A Case of Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement

Mwesigwa Jacob, Omoding Ben


Abstract

This study examined the role of social work in the management of refugee settlement in Uganda, with reference to Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement. Uganda hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, and social work plays a central role in supporting refugees and managing the settlements in which they live, yet its contribution has been under-examined empirically. The study investigated how case management, psychosocial support, community mobilisation, and advocacy and referral relate to effective settlement management. A cross-sectional survey design with a mixed-methods approach was adopted, and data were collected from 165 respondents comprising social workers, settlement officials, community leaders, and refugee representatives using structured questionnaires and interviews. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and structural (path) analysis were used. Factor analysis confirmed the construct validity of the social work role dimensions, which loaded onto coherent factors and explained 69.1% of the variance. The results revealed a strong positive and significant relationship between social work roles and effective settlement management (r = 0.68, p < 0.01), with the dimensions jointly explaining 66.0% of the variance in settlement management (R² = 0.660). Psychosocial support (β = 0.32) and case management (β = 0.30) emerged as the strongest path predictors. The study concludes that social work significantly enhances refugee settlement management and recommends strengthening psychosocial support, case management, and social work capacity.

Keywords

social work refugee settlement psychosocial support case management Kiryandongo Uganda
Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research

Cite This Article

Mwesigwa Jacob & Omoding Ben (2026). The Role of Social Work in Managing Refugee Settlement in Uganda: A Case of Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement. Metropolitan Journal of Academic Multidisciplinary Research, 5(8). https://journals.miu.ac.ug/pages/article.php?article_id=779

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