The quality of school leadership and management is widely regarded as one of the most significant school-level factors influencing students’ academic performance, yet secondary schools within the same district often exhibit markedly different performance outcomes despite operating under similar policy, curriculum, and resource conditions, a disparity frequently attributed to differences in the management styles employed by head teachers. This study examined the influence of school management styles on students’ performance in secondary schools in Kabarole District, guided by objectives that sought to establish the management styles predominantly employed by head teachers, assess the level of students’ academic performance across sampled schools, determine the relationship between specific management styles (autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire) and students’ performance, and identify other school-level factors that mediate this relationship. A descriptive correlational research design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted, with data collected from a sample of 156 respondents comprising head teachers, teachers, and students drawn from twelve secondary schools, using questionnaires, interviews, and analysis of official examination performance records. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and path analysis (AMOS). Results showed that the democratic management style was the most prevalent (mean = 3.87) and was significantly and positively correlated with students’ performance (r = 0.612, p < 0.01), while the autocratic style was significantly negatively correlated with performance (r = −0.487, p < 0.01); the laissez-faire style showed a weak, non-significant correlation (r = −0.142, p > 0.05). Regression analysis showed that management style dimensions jointly explained 46.8 percent of the variance in students’ performance (R² = 0.468). Path analysis revealed that teacher motivation significantly mediates the relationship between democratic management style and students’ performance, with a significant indirect effect (β = 0.279, p < 0.01) alongside a significant direct effect (β = 0.334, p < 0.01), yielding a total effect of 0.613. The study concludes that management style, particularly the democratic approach, exerts a substantial influence on students’ performance, operating both directly and through its effect on teacher motivation, and recommends leadership training for head teachers emphasizing participatory management, deliberate strategies to enhance teacher motivation, and closer monitoring of management practices by the district education office.

Uganda’s agricultural sector continues to face a demographic challenge in which young people increasingly perceive farming as an unattractive, low-status livelihood option, a perception that education stakeholders have argued could be addressed in part through meaningful, hands-on agricultural learning experiences integrated into primary schooling, most notably through school farms. This study examined the relationship between school farms and learners’ interest in agriculture among primary schools in Uganda, using Balawoli Sub-county, Kamuli District as a study area, guided by objectives that sought to establish the extent and nature of school farm activities in the sub-county’s primary schools, assess learners’ level of interest in agriculture, determine the relationship between school farm engagement and learners’ interest in agriculture, and identify the challenges limiting the effectiveness of school farms in fostering this interest. A descriptive correlational research design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted, with data collected from a sample of 186 respondents comprising upper primary learners, agriculture teachers, and head teachers from eight primary schools, using questionnaires, interviews, and school farm observation. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and path analysis (AMOS). Results showed moderate-to-high learner engagement in school farm activities (mean = 3.58) and a significant positive correlation between school farm engagement and learners’ interest in agriculture (r = 0.588, p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed that school farm engagement and perceived relevance of agriculture jointly explained 42.6 percent of the variance in learners’ interest in agriculture (R² = 0.426). Path analysis revealed that perceived relevance of agriculture significantly mediates the relationship between school farm engagement and learners’ interest, with a significant indirect effect (β = 0.243, p < 0.01) alongside a significant direct effect (β = 0.287, p < 0.01), yielding a total effect of 0.530. The study concludes that school farms have made a meaningful, though moderate, contribution to fostering learners’ interest in agriculture in Balawoli Sub-county, operating substantially through their effect on learners’ perceived relevance of agriculture to their own lives and futures, and recommends increased investment in school farm infrastructure, stronger integration of school farm activities into the agriculture curriculum, and deliberate efforts to showcase modern, profitable agricultural practices to learners.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) constitute the backbone of Uganda’s private sector, yet many continue to struggle with limited market information, narrow customer reach, and weak capacity to understand shifting consumer demand and competitive dynamics, constraints that e-commerce platforms are increasingly seen as capable of easing by providing SMEs with wider market access and rich, real-time data on customer behavior. This study examined the role of e-commerce in expanding market research for Uganda SMEs, using Jumia Uganda as a case study, guided by objectives that sought to establish the extent to which SMEs use the Jumia platform, assess the market research benefits (customer insight, demand and competitor information, market reach) derived from this use, determine the relationship between e-commerce platform usage and SME market research capability, and identify challenges limiting SMEs’ ability to fully exploit e-commerce platforms for market research purposes. A descriptive correlational research design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted, with data collected from a sample of 132 SME vendors operating on the Jumia Uganda platform across Kampala, Wakiso, and Mukono, using questionnaires, interviews with Jumia Uganda seller-support staff, and review of platform seller-analytics reports. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and path analysis (AMOS). Results showed high usage of Jumia’s seller dashboard and analytics tools (mean = 3.93) and a significant positive correlation between ecommerce platform usage and SME market research capability (r = 0.647, p < 0.01). Regression analysis showed that platform usage, access to analytics tools, and digital literacy jointly explained 51.4 percent of the variance in SME market research capability (R² = 0.514). Path analysis revealed that digital literacy significantly mediates the relationship between platform usage and market research capability, with a significant indirect effect (β = 0.251, p < 0.01) alongside a significant direct effect (β = 0.372, p < 0.01), yielding a total effect of 0.623. The study concludes that Jumia Uganda has made a substantial, though unevenly distributed, contribution to expanding market research capability among Ugandan SMEs, constrained mainly by digital literacy gaps, connectivity costs, and limited analytical skill among smaller vendors, and recommends targeted digital literacy training, simplified analytics dashboards, and stronger platform-vendor support partnerships.

Public procurement remains one of the largest and most vulnerable areas of public expenditure in local governments, and the adoption of electronic procurement (e-procurement) systems has been widely promoted as a mechanism for enhancing transparency and accountability in this process. This study examined the role of the e-procurement system in enhancing transparency and accountability in local government, with specific reference to Wakiso District Local Government. The study was guided by four specific objectives: assessing the level of adoption and utilization of the e-procurement system, establishing its contribution to transparency, determining its contribution to accountability, and identifying the challenges limiting its effectiveness. A descriptive case study design combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted, with data collected from a sample of 87 respondents comprising procurement officers, contracts committee members, bidders, and internal audit staff, using questionnaires, interviews, and document review. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression, and path analysis (AMOS). Results showed high adoption of the system for tender advertisement (mean = 3.90) but comparatively lower transparency scores for bid evaluation and award decisions (means of 3.10 and 3.05). Eprocurement adoption was significantly correlated with transparency (r = 0.610, p < 0.01) and accountability (r = 0.520, p < 0.01), and regression results showed the two predictors jointly explained 49.3 percent of the variance in accountability (R² = 0.493). Path analysis revealed that transparency partially mediates the relationship between eprocurement adoption and accountability, with a significant indirect effect (β = 0.286, p < 0.01) alongside a significant direct effect (β = 0.238, p < 0.01), yielding a total effect of 0.524. The study concludes that e-procurement has made a measurable but partial contribution to transparency and accountability in Wakiso District, constrained by infrastructural, capacity, and institutional challenges, and recommends investment in connectivity, capacity building, full migration of procurement functions onto the electronic platform, and enhanced real-time oversight access.

Wetlands provide critical regulating ecosystem services, including the attenuation of storm water runoff and mitigation of urban flooding, yet rapid urbanization in many African cities has led to significant wetland degradation with poorly understood consequences for flood risk. This study examined the role of wetlands in flood regulation, using Nakivubo Wetland in Kampala City as a case study, guided by objectives assessing the wetland’s ecological condition and spatial extent, its hydrological functions, the relationship between its degradation and flooding, and the drivers of its degradation. A descriptive case study design integrating remote sensing/GIS land cover change analysis with household surveys (n = 103), key informant interviews, and field observation was employed. Land cover analysis showed a 42.0 percent loss of papyrus-dominated wetland vegetation between 1993 and 2023, accompanied by a 276.0 percent increase in built-up area. Households nearest the most degraded sections of the wetland reported significantly more frequent flooding (mean = 4.10 episodes/year) than those near better-preserved sections (mean = 0.95 episodes/year). Wetland vegetation loss was strongly correlated with flood frequency (r = 0.710, p < 0.01), and regression analysis showed vegetation loss and distance from the wetland edge jointly explained 59.9 percent of the variance in flood frequency (R² = 0.599). Path analysis confirmed that the erosion of the wetland’s water storage and attenuation capacity partially mediates the relationship between vegetation loss and flooding, with a significant indirect effect (β = 0.340, p < 0.01) in addition to a significant direct effect (β = 0.481, p < 0.01), producing a total effect of 0.821. The study concludes that continued encroachment, weak enforcement, and solid waste dumping have substantially compromised the wetland’s natural flood regulation function, and recommends strengthened enforcement, wetland restoration, improved solid waste management, and the integration of wetland conservation into citywide drainage planning.

This study examined the relationship between Uganda's refugee policy and regional stability in host communities, using Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Isingiro District as a case study. The study was guided by three objectives: to examine the key features of Uganda's refugee policy as implemented at Nakivale, to assess the effects of the settlement on stability in host communities, and to establish the challenges facing the policy's implementation. A descriptive case study design combining quantitative and qualitative methods was proposed, targeting refugee households, host community members, local government officials and staff of the Office of the Prime Minister and UNHCR implementing partners operating in Nakivale. Data were to be collected using structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus group discussions, alongside review of settlement administrative records. The results presented in this paper are illustrative, prepared to demonstrate expected findings and analysis, and are not derived from actual data collection. The illustrative findings suggest that Uganda's self-reliance-oriented refugee policy has generally supported peaceful coexistence and shared access to services in Nakivale, while also generating tensions over land, natural resources and competition for social services between refugee and host populations. The study concludes that the policy's stability outcomes are mixed and recommends strengthened investment in shared infrastructure, conflictsensitive land governance and expanded livelihood support for both refugees and host communities.