Uganda Christian University

Reliable prediction of energy consumption for electric motorcycles in sub-Saharan Africa requires models that reflect local riding conditions and measured component behaviour. This paper presents a validated, physics-based simulator for the Roam Air electric motorcycle that combines longitudinal dynamics with empirically derived motor and inverter efficiency maps obtained from dynamometer testing. The model ingests measured drive cycles and elevation-derived gradients to compute tractive effort and battery power flow and is validated against six real-world city and highway trips in Nairobi. The simulator reproduces temporal battery-power profiles with strong correlations between 0.87 and 0.91 and predicts energy per distance with small positive bias, achieving errors between 0.4% and 11.3%, where the measured energy consumption per distance ranges between 30.2 and 51.7 Wh/km. A sensitivity analysis quantifies the influence of key design parameters, and a scenario analysis assesses the impact of representative African driving conditions, including terrain, posture, payload, and surface type. The resulting framework is compact, transparent, and potentially adaptable to a wide range of electric two-wheelers, supporting design optimisation and electrification planning in the region.

Uganda possesses one of Africa’s most comprehensive integrity toolkits, yet corruption indicators have shown minimal improvement since the National Resistance Movement assumed power in 1986. This paper reassesses the country’s reform efforts using a convergent mixed-methods approach that integrates time-series analysis of the Corruption Perceptions Index, World Bank Control of Corruption scores, and Afrobarometer bribery data; thematic analysis of 14 elite interviews and media stories; and documentary review of laws and agencies established since 1986. Applying lenses of institutional isomorphism, neo-patrimonial political economy, institutional multiplicity, and reactive versus proactive approaches, the study identifies a persistent “reform misfit.” Corruption Perceptions Index scores remain stagnant below 30, the World Bank percentile has declined from 27 to 18, and self-reported bribery has risen to 38%. Flagship initiatives, including the 2010 Whistle-Blower Act and the 2018 State House Anti-Corruption Unit, have produced only temporary improvements. Joint-display matrices show that while sensational “naming-and-shaming” tactics spike following scandals, they rarely lead to prosecutions, fueling public disillusionment. The evidence highlights six failure mechanisms: isomorphic mimicry, neo-patrimonial incentives, overlapping mandates, reactive bias, regional illicit-finance gaps, and a contested media space. The paper recommends mandate rationalization, preventive risk mapping, cross-border asset recovery, stronger whistle-blower and media protections, and the creation of citizen audit panels. Without such realignment, Uganda’s anti-corruption efforts will continue to struggle against systemic challenges.

Abstract Pneumonia remains a leading cause of mortality among children under five years of age, accounting for approximately 1.6 million deaths annually. Early detection is critical for reducing child mortality; however, traditional diagnostic methods rely on trained personnel and medical resources, often scarce in low-resource settings. Machine learning has emerged as a promising approach to pneumonia detection, but its effectiveness is hindered by the limited availability of labeled data required for training robust models. This study reviews existing machine learning techniques for pneumonia classification, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs), transfer learning, and few-shot learning approaches. Furthermore, we propose an optimized few-shot learning model that integrates Siamese networks with transfer learning to improve pneumonia detection using minimal labeled data. The model leverages MobileNetV3 as a pre-trained feature extractor, producing high-quality embeddings that enhance similarity learning within the Siamese framework. Additionally, triplet loss is incorporated to ensure a more discriminative embedding space, facilitating robust classification. Experimental results indicate that our model outperforms conventional machine learning classifiers, achieving an accuracy of 92.04%, precision of 91.20%, recall of 90.32%, and F1-score of 90.09%. The integration of Siamese networks with triplet loss enhances generalization while mitigating overfitting, making it particularly suitable for resource-constrained environments. These findings highlight the effectiveness of few-shot learning in pneumonia detection, offering a computationally efficient and scalable solution that bridges critical gaps in medical imaging.

Abstract Background Vaccine uptake in Uganda remains below target, especially in hard-to-reach places such as Koome Island, a fishing community in Lake Victoria’s Mukono District. Although national immunization efforts have made progress, social and structural barriers limit access to and trust in vaccines. As part of the NIHR Global Health Research Group on Vaccines for Vulnerable People in Africa (VAnguard), we conducted a situational analysis to understand the local factors influencing vaccination attitudes and practices on Koome Island. Methods Using the socioecological model as a framework, we employed qualitative methods, including community dialogues, stakeholder consultations, transect walks, informal conversations, and field observations, from November 2022 to October 2023. The participants included community members, health workers, local leaders, and district officials. The data were thematically analysed to capture influences on vaccine uptake across multiple social and structural levels. Findings: Despite longstanding Ministry of Health efforts, vaccine uptake remains limited in remote areas such as Koome Island. Structural challenges such as long distances to health centres, poor infrastructure, and frequent vaccine stockouts restrict access. These are worsened by high transport costs, gendered caregiving roles, limited awareness of the full immunization schedule, and persistent myths and misinformation, for example, fears that vaccines cause infertility or goitre. These findings shaped the stakeholder mapping and community engagement approaches for VAnguard and guided the design of a follow-up survey in three districts to further explore the complex social, biological, and structural factors affecting vaccine equity. Conclusion The analysis underscores the need to ground vaccine research and interventions in local realities. It informs culturally sensitive, systems-aware strategies and supports participatory approaches aimed at strengthening vaccine uptake in underserved communities.

Indonesia is a disaster-prone country, especially in terms of geological disasters. Applying disaster education through simulation methods is expected to give the community the right knowledge and attitude toward disaster response. This study aimed to determine and analyze the knowledge and attitudes of students in higher education in responding to geological disasters through simulation learning methods. The population in this study was students of the Social Sciences Education Study Program from five Islamic universities in East Java, Indonesia, and the sample was 378 students. The method used was quantitative with univariate and bivariate data analysis. The study results from the analysis stated a significant difference between the knowledge and preparedness of geological disasters in students in the control group and the experimental group, with a P value of 0.0001. Thus, the knowledge and disaster preparedness level in students who received simulation learning was higher than in students who did not receive learning with the simulation learning model. This study implies that the simulation learning model can be used as a reference in implementing disaster education, especially in disaster-prone areas.

Social security pension scheme, a mercantile investment approach to accumulate funds to meet the financial needs of people in their old age is a phenomenon that has been in existence since days ancient. Accordingly, this scholarly article examines the trends of social security pension schemes since precolonial Uganda. Centrally, the article examines the pivotal role Uganda Christian University can play to influence Clergy and Laity in the Anglican church of Uganda to save funds for their old age life survival and how the academic institution can utilize the accumulated savings to influence academic institution programmes expansion and financial sustainability. In order to attain insights on how the Ugandan society has been supported to engage in old age savings, haphazard sampling, participant observation, and historical analysis approaches were relied on. Study findings indicate that during precolonial Uganda, traditional social security mechanisms were the vibrant means through which the vulnerable groups of society were communally offered support. When the British took over, statutory social service pension schemes, parallel to those in Europe, were introduced. Since then, European transplanted old age savings schemes benefit only Ugandans enrolled in the formal and private employment sectors. For the majority workforce in the informal employment sector, although dotted social investment groups have formularised their voluntary savings schemes, there are no clear legislated systems that hold them accountable to save funds regularly to cater for their old age financial needs. Hence, in the Anglican church of Uganda fraternity, it has been brought to light that, if Uganda Christian University leadership, takes on Clergy-laity pension scheme management, then: a) the vision of the Anglican Church of Uganda – ‘A Faster Growing Sustainable Christ-Cantered Church,’ will be tangible, and b) the academic institution will be at the cutting edge dream walk – ‘A Centre of Excellence in the Heart of Africa’.

Introduction There is a high prevalence of antibiotic-resistant clinical isolates of Escherichia coli in Uganda but there is limited information on the mechanisms of resistance. Objective Mechanisms of antibiotic-resistant E. coli clinical isolates from the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology of Makerere University were determined. Methods The cross-sectional study from 2021 to 2023 was conducted on archived clinical isolates of E. coli isolates from the most prevalent samples; blood, pus swab, rectal swab, urine, and wound swab. E. coli was re-identified by phenotypic methods; Gram stain microscopy, culture and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing and resistance phenotypes; extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), AmpC and carbapenemase production were determined by Kirby Bauer disk diffusion method. Descriptive statistics were used for the results. Results Of the N= 213 isolates of E. coli tested, n=166 (77.9%) were ESBL positive, n=39 (18.3%) was AmpC positive and 3 (1.4%) were confirmed as carbapenemase producing. Conclusion Therefore, ESBL production is the most common mechanism of antibiotic resistance of E. coli isolates from the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of Makerere University.

Infectious diseases remain a significant public health challenge in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and malaria contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a pivotal role in addressing these diseases, yet evidence on the costs and cost-effectiveness of CHW-led interventions remains fragmented. We performed a scoping review, searching ten databases and the grey literature for original studies published between August 2015 and July 2024. Recognized search terms related to "Community Health Workers" and "Economic Evaluation(s)" in LMICs were utilized. Covidence software was employed to screen studies based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data on study methodology, costs and cost-related outcomes were then extracted, tabulated in a data-extraction form, and analysed using Microsoft Excel. Thirty-three studies representing 106 scenarios were included, predominantly from sub-Saharan Africa (61%). Over half the scenarios provide evidence about malaria (n = 59), followed by HIV (n = 31) and TB (n = 24). CHWs performed diverse roles, including delivering preventive education, case finding, diagnosis, treatment adherence support, counselling and referrals. The majority demonstrated that CHW programs were cost-effective compared to alternative service delivery models, most commonly facility-based care. These programs were particularly effective in improving treatment adherence and targeting high-priority populations. Costs per beneficiary ranged widely, from $1.20 to $26,556. This review highlights significant heterogeneity in methodologies and reporting, impeding comprehensive comparisons. Future research should emphasize standardized reporting, assess affordability, explore integrated CHW roles across multiple disease groups, and focus on generating evidence that supports priority-setting and resource allocation at the health system level.

ABSTRACTThis study examines the impact of executive compensation (EC) and corporate circular economy performance incentives (CCEPI) on corporate circular economy initiatives (CCEI) and corporate circular economy performance (CCEP) by integrating legitimacy theory and the resource‐based view. Despite increasing attention to sustainability, there is limited understanding of how governance mechanisms, such as EC and CCEPI, drive circular economy practices. Addressing this gap, we analyse 41,370 firm‐year observations from 50 countries over the period 2002–2022. The findings reveal four key insights: (1) higher EC significantly enhances CCEI, demonstrating greater corporate commitment to circular economy practices; (2) CCEPI positively influences the effectiveness of CE efforts; (3) CCEPI does not directly improve CCEP but strengthens CCEI as a long‐term strategic investment; (4) these relationships vary by country, sector and over time. The study offers crucial implications for policymakers and practitioners, emphasising the role of targeted incentives in promoting sustainable business practices and recognising the contextual factors that affect their effectiveness.

This study, entitled "Bridging Motivational Gaps: A Motivational Framework Tailored to Teacher Training Institutions in Eastern Uganda," explores the pressing issue of tutor motivation within Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) in the region. The objective of this study is to ex-amine the motivational strategies employed in Teacher Training Institutions (TTIs) in Eastern Uganda and develop an integrated framework that aligns tutor needs with institutional objec-tives to enhance professional growth and tutor satisfaction. Utilizing a qualitative research methodology, the study adopts a case study design, drawing on data collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. Participants in-cluded tutors, principals, members of Boards of Governors, and Parent-Teacher Association representatives, whose diverse perspectives provided comprehensive insights into the motiva-tional dynamics at play. The findings indicate that existing motivational strategies in TTIs are predominantly financial, such as allowances for supervision and school practice. However, tutors underscored the critical value of non-financial incentives, including recognition, lead-ership opportunities, and avenues for career development. The study underscores the need for a holistic approach to motivation, integrating both intrinsic and extrinsic factors alongside structured feedback mechanisms and enhanced institutional support. As an original contribu-tion, this research introduces the Integrated Motivational Framework for Teacher Training In-stitutions (IMF-TTI), a conceptual model aimed at aligning tutor needs with institutional ob-jectives, fostering professional growth, and enhancing overall tutor satisfaction. The study recommends institutional adoption of the IMF-TTI framework to systematize balanced moti-vational strategies and address existing challenges, thereby advancing tutor performance and educational outcomes in Eastern Uganda. Directions for future research are also provided, emphasizing the need for continued exploration of motivation in educational contexts.