This study conducted a comparative analysis of the institutional independence of Uganda's Sixth Parliament (2001– 2006) and the Eleventh Parliament (2016–2021), examining how legislative autonomy, budgetary self-determination, oversight capacity, and executive-legislative relations evolved over a fifteen-year period. Drawing on a mixedmethods design underpinned by neo-institutional theory and separation of powers doctrine, the study collected quantitative data from 186 purposively and randomly selected respondents comprising Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff, civil society representatives, and legal scholars. Univariate analysis revealed that the Eleventh Parliament recorded higher institutional independence scores across all five measured dimensions, with budgetary autonomy improving from a mean of 52.3 to 71.4 out of 100. Bivariate analysis using chi-square tests and Pearson correlation established statistically significant positive associations between parliamentary independence and legislative output (r = 0.74, p < 0.001), as well as between oversight autonomy and executive accountability ratings (r = 0.69, p < 0.001). Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) further confirmed that institutional independence (β = 0.72, p < 0.001) was a strong predictor of legislative effectiveness, mediated by recruitment autonomy (β = 0.48, p < 0.01) and budgetary control (β = 0.55, p < 0.001). The overall SEM model demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.05). The findings underscore that while significant institutional gains have been achieved, structural vulnerabilities—particularly executive influence over parliamentary budgets and the appointment processes for senior parliamentary staff—continue to constrain full legislative independence. The study recommends constitutional entrenchment of parliamentary budgetary autonomy, a transparent and merit-based parliamentary service commission, and strengthened inter-institutional accountability mechanisms to consolidate democratic governance in Uganda.

his study assessed the feasibility of introducing sector-based parliamentary representation as a complement or alternative to Uganda's predominantly territorial constituency system, with specific attention to the health, education, agriculture, trade and industry, and disability sectors. The research was motivated by recurrent debates within Uganda's Parliament and civil society on whether geographically-bounded representation adequately channels technical sectoral interests into national legislative and budgetary processes. Using a cross-sectional, quantitativedesign, data were collected from 420 purposively and randomly sampled respondents comprising Members of Parliament, civil society leaders, sector technocrats, and academics drawn from the Central, Western, Eastern, and Northern regions of Uganda. Five latent constructs were measured on five-point Likert scales: institutional capacity, sectoral legitimacy, political will, representation effectiveness, and feasibility of sector-based representation. Data were analysed using univariate statistics (frequencies, means, standard deviations), bivariate techniques (Pearson correlation, independent-samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA), and a structural equation modelling approach operationalised through a sequence of structural regression paths linking institutional capacity, sectoral legitimacy, and political will to representation effectiveness and ultimately to feasibility. Results indicated that institutional
capacity significantly predicted sectoral legitimacy, and that sectoral legitimacy, political will, and institutional capacity jointly explained a substantial proportion of variance in representation effectiveness, which in turn was the strongest predictor of overall feasibility. Political will emerged as a second strong direct determinant of feasibility. Differences in feasibility perceptions across sectors and respondent categories were comparatively modest and statistically non-significant, suggesting a broadly shared, cross-sectoral view of the structural prerequisites for reform. The study concludes that sector-based parliamentary representation in Uganda is conditionally feasible, contingent primarily on strengthening institutional capacity and political will rather than on sector-specific characteristics. The study recommends phased piloting of sector seats, capacity-building for sectoral representative structures, and deliberate political mobilization to build cross-party consensus ahead of any constitutional or electoral law amendment.

This study examined the conceptual and operational tension between auditing as a ceremonial ritual and auditing as a genuine enforcement mechanism within Uganda's public accountability framework. Drawing on a mixed-methods design that combined structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, and documentary analysis, data were collected from 320 purposively and randomly selected respondents across central government ministries, local government districts, civil society organizations (CSOs), and parliamentary committees. Univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate correlation analysis, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) were employed to interrogate the relationships between political independence, technical audit capacity, stakeholder engagement, follow-up compliance mechanisms, and accountability outcomes. Findings revealed that 58.8% of respondents perceived public auditing in Uganda primarily as a ritual exercise, driven largely by weak enforcement infrastructure, limited political will, and inadequate follow-up on audit recommendations. The SEM model demonstrated strong path coefficients linking political independence to enforcement effectiveness (β = 0.61, p < .001) and audit formalism to ritual perception (β = 0.73, p < .001), with overall model fit indices confirming a well-specified model (CFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.047). The study concluded that Uganda's audit ecosystem remains structurally skewed toward performative compliance, undermining the transformative potential of public auditing as an accountability instrument. The study recommended institutional reforms targeting the independence of the Auditor General's office, mandatory parliamentary action on audit reports, and capacity investment in the Office of the Auditor General (OAG). These findings carry significant implications for public financial management reform efforts in Uganda and comparable subSaharan African contexts.

Youth unemployment remains one of Uganda's most pressing socioeconomic challenges, with approximately 62% of young people aged 18–30 years lacking stable, gainful employment. This study examined and compared the employability outcomes of structured internship programs (SI) and vocational training programs (VT) relative to a control group of graduates who participated in neither intervention, with the overarching aim of generating evidencebased insights to guide workforce development policy and practice in Uganda. A cross-sectional comparative research design was employed, and data were collected from 400 purposively and systematically sampled participants drawn from three cohorts across four districts in Uganda (Kampala, Mbarara, Gulu, and Mbale). Structured questionnaires and employer satisfaction tools were administered between January and March 2026. Key employability outcome indicators included employment rate, monthly earnings, time-to-first-job, job satisfaction, skills utilisation, and an aggregated employability index. Data were analysed at three levels: univariate analysis (frequencies, means, standard deviations), bivariate analysis (one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, chi-square tests), and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using maximum likelihood estimation with robust standard errors. Results revealed that SI participants attained a mean employment rate of 72.4% compared to 64.8% for VT participants and 38.6% for the control group (F=84.72, p

Conceptual displacement the process by which the original semantic content of a policy concept is gradually supplanted by alternative meanings that serve different ideological and institutional interests — has emerged as a critical but under examined phenomenon in African public policy scholarship. This study examined conceptual displacement in Uganda's public policy discourse, with particular emphasis on the education and governance sectors, over the period 2010 to 2024. Drawing on a mixed-methods design that combined critical discourse analysis (CDA) of 214 purposively selected policy documents, 28 key informant interviews, and a structured survey administered to 312 policy actors, the study employed univariate, bivariate, and structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques to quantify and explain patterns of semantic drift. Findings revealed that conceptual displacement was widespread across both sectors: Universal Primary Education (UPE) had evolved from a rights-based framework to an enrolment-centric metric, while decentralisation had been reframed from a power-devolution mechanism to a fiscal-transfer instrument. The bivariate analysis established statistically significant positive associations between donor influence and semantic drift (r = 0.61, p < 0.001) and between media amplification and policy incoherence (r = 0.54, p < 0.001). The SEM results indicated that donor framing (β = 0.42), political capture (β = 0.51), and institutional drift (β = 0.38) were the most powerful structural drivers of conceptual displacement, collectively explaining 67% of the variance in the displacement index. The study concludes that conceptual displacement is not incidental but structurally embedded in Uganda's policy environment, driven by asymmetric power relations, donor conditionality, and weak institutional memory. Three key recommendations are advanced: the establishment of a National Policy Concept Registry, mandatory semantic impact assessments for externally financed programmes, and the institutionalisation of
participatory policy review mechanisms to preserve conceptual integrity over time.

This study examined the influence of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practices on customer retention at Centenary Bank, Uganda's leading microfinance-oriented commercial bank. The dimensions of CRM investigated included service quality, customer communication, complaint handling, and customer loyalty programs. Using a crosssectional survey design, data were collected from 150 bank customers and 30 bank staff using structured questionnaires. Descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted using SPSS. Findings revealed that CRM practices were significantly and positively associated with customer retention (r = 0.714, p < 0.01). Regression results showed that service quality (β = 0.341, p < 0.001), customer communication (β = 0.289, p < 0.01), and complaint handling (β = 0.251, p < 0.01) were significant predictors of customer retention, collectively explaining 67.3% of variance (R² = 0.673). The study concludes that CRM is a powerful driver of customer retention and recommends that Centenary Bank strengthen its service quality standards, invest in digital communication platforms, and institutionalize a proactive complaint resolution framework.

Early pregnancy constitutes one of the most pervasive yet structurally embedded barriers to girls' secondary education in Uganda, operating through intersecting social, economic, and institutional mechanisms that collectively sustain gender inequality. This study examined the role of early pregnancy as a mechanism of female educational exclusion in Ugandan secondary schools, with a specific focus on the prevalence of school dropout attributable to pregnancy, the socio-economic and institutional factors that mediate the pregnancy-dropout relationship, and the effectiveness of existing re-entry policies and school-based support systems in facilitating academic continuation. A cross-sectional quantitative research design was employed, utilizing a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 500 female secondary school students and recent school leavers from 20 purposively selected secondary schools across rural and urban districts in Uganda. Data were analysed using univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression. The findings revealed that 40.2% of respondents reported a history of pregnancy, of whom 87.2% had dropped out of school. Early pregnancy was the strongest independent predictor of school dropout (Adjusted OR = 28.7; 95% CI: 14.3-57.6; p < 0.001), followed by lack of access to school re-entry policies (Adj OR = 31.4; 95% CI: 17.2-57.4; p < 0.001). Rural residence, low household income, and low paternal education further compounded dropout risk. Re-entry rates were dismally low (22.1%) and strongly associated with access to financial support, parental encouragement, and teacher attitudes. The study concluded that early pregnancy functions not merely as a biological event but as a socially and institutionally amplified mechanism of educational exclusion, whose effects are disproportionately borne by girls in resource-constrained and rural settings. The study recommends strengthening national school re-entry policies, scaling up multi-sector socio-economic support programmes for pregnant and parenting learners, and implementing comprehensive sexuality education integrated into the formal secondary school curriculum to address the root causes of adolescent pregnancy and its educational consequences.

This study examined the effect of executive dominance on parliamentary committee effectiveness in Uganda, drawing
on a cross-sectional survey of 312 respondents including members of parliament, committee clerks, civil society
representatives, and parliamentary researchers. The study was anchored on the principal-agent theory and the separation of powers doctrine. Three specific objectives guided the inquiry: to assess the extent of executive dominance over parliamentary committees in Uganda; to examine the relationship between executive dominance and committee effectiveness; and to determine the effect of executive dominance on the oversight, legislative review, and budget scrutiny functions of parliamentary committees. A structured questionnaire measuring executive dominance across five dimensions budget control, appointment power, legislative agenda setting, information asymmetry, and party discipline and committee effectiveness across three sub-dimensions was administered. Data were analysed using univariate descriptive statistics, bivariate Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and structural equation modelling (SEM). Descriptive findings revealed a mean executive dominance composite score of 4.17 (SD=0.52) on a 5-point Likert scale, while the mean committee effectiveness score stood at a significantly lower 2.63 (SD=0.71), indicating constrained parliamentary performance. Pearson correlation analysis returned a strong negative association between executive dominance and committee effectiveness (r=−0.621, p

This study investigated the relationship between financial management practices and the growth of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Mbarara City, Uganda. Financial management practices examined included working capital management, financial record-keeping, budgeting and planning, and investment decision-making. The study was guided by a cross-sectional survey design and collected data from a sample of 120 SME owners and managers using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Results revealed that financial management practices were positively and significantly associated with SME growth (r = 0.687, p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed that working capital management (β = 0.312, p < 0.05), financial record-keeping (β = 0.278, p < 0.05), and budgeting and planning (β = 0.241, p < 0.05) were significant predictors of SME growth, collectively accounting for 62.4% of the variance in SME growth (R² = 0.624). The study concludes that robust financial management practices are a critical determinant of SME growth and recommends that SME owners receive formal financial literacy training and that government establish financial management support units for SMEs across Ugandan cities.

This study examined the relationship between internal controls and the financial performance of Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) in Wakiso District, Uganda. SACCOs play an increasingly important role in Uganda's financial inclusion agenda, yet many face financial distress attributable in part to weak governance and inadequate internal control systems. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, with data collected from 157 respondents including SACCO managers, board members, loan officers, and finance officers drawn from 32 SACCOs in Wakiso District. The Committee of Sponsoring Organisations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) framework guided the conceptualization of internal controls across five components: control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring. Financial performance was measured through portfolio quality (Portfolio at Risk > 30 days), operational self-sufficiency, return on assets, and loan repayment rates. Pearson correlation revealed strong positive relationships between all COSO components and financial performance.
The regression model explained 67.2% of the variance in SACCO financial performance (R² = 0.672, F = 53.41, p < 0.001), with control activities (Beta = 0.298) and monitoring (Beta = 0.271) emerging as the strongest predictors. The study concludes that strong internal controls are a critical determinant of SACCO financial performance and recommends capacity building for SACCO boards, adoption of standardised accounting systems, and strengthened external oversight by the Uganda Cooperative Alliance.