The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors affecting girls’ access to education in secondary schools in Huye district. Four research questions were formulated to guide the study. The study used the descriptive survey design. The sample for the study was 357 female students, 136 teachers and 13 head teachers~. Data was collected by use of questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that there were cultural factors that contributed to low level of girls’ access to education. These factors include early marriage, early pregnancy, taking care of other family members, preference in education of boys than girls, cultural beliefs, parental level of education and others. The findings of this study also showed that there were also community factors such as inadequate public support, limited participation of women in development activities, political instability and the impact of HIV/AIDS. Concerning economic factors, it was found that there was parental poverty, lack of basic necessities and household activities, etc. There were also school factors such as lack of gender-sensitive and cultural appropriate school facilities, lack of role models, gender selection in learning activities, sexual harassment and others. The study revealed that the level of girls’ access to edOcation in lower than that of boys. Based on the findings, it was concluded that there was a significant relationship between factors affecting girls’ access to education and the level of access. Thus there is a need to empower the community on the need of education of girls so that girls do not miss out school because of cultural, community, economic and school factors.

The aim of the study was to examine the reasons for the continuous low grades among girls in UPE schools. The study was based on specific objectives that include; to identify gender related factors that affect the academic performance of girls in UPE schools, explore school related factors that affect academic performance of girls in UPE, and identify initiatives undertaken by the school and community to improve the performance of girls in UPE schools. The research was comprised of 57 pupils of primary seven in Kasozi C/U primary school in Namasagali sub-county, Kamuli district, and the secondary respondents were the teachers, parents and Alumni of Kasozi C/U primary school. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the selected pupils and interview guides and key informant guides were used to collect data from the school Alumni and teachers as well as parents respectively. The study confirmed that several factors account for the poor grades of girls at UPE schools. The general academic performance of pupils in UPE schools is affected by several factors such as students' learning skills, parental background, poverty in families, peer influence, teachers' quality, and learning infrastructure among others. The PLE results of Kasozi C/U primary school from 2012 to 2020 showed that boys have continued to perform better than girls, and this can be attributed to various gender related factors both in homes and the schools. The study established that some parents do not have adequate skill to guide their children, girls have more tasks to perform compared to boys before they attend to school, poverty in the region plays a role in affecting the performance of girls. Lack of proper teaching materials, poor teaching methods, lack of evaluation instruments especially those used for international purposes creates a gap between learning achievement and what is required by society. The study showed that parents have a role to play in improving the performance of girls. This is in addition to government playing its oversight role majorly in indication and ensuring that school are operating as required by Law.

There has been a growing interest in feeding beneficial microorganisms to animals, such as Lactic Acid Bacteria (LABs), as an alternative to antibiotics. These microorganisms have been found to be preferred when isolated from their native environment of intended use. The purpose of this study was to determine the probiotic potential, temperature tolerance, acid tolerance and antibacterial capabilities of Lactic Acid bacteria isolated from pig colons in Masindi, Uganda. Five of the best performing Lactic acid bacteria were chosen for further analysis, with average inhibition diameters of 18.2mm (s.d 1.42) and 10.4mm (s.d 2.92) against E.coli and S.aureus, respectively. These Lactic acid bacteria were identified as Lactococcus garvieae, Lactobacilli fermentum, Lactobacilli pentosus, Lactococcus lactis, and Lactobacilli plantarum using the vitekII ID system. Their acid tolerance was studied at pH 2, 3, 5, 6.5 and 8, as well as their temperature tolerance at 40C, 250C, 370C and 420C. To assess tolerance, viable cell counts were taken at 0, ½, 1 and 2 hours intervals. The agar well diffusion assay was used to investigate the probiotic potential of Lactic Acid bacteria against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as test organisms. Lactic acid bacteria were more active against E.coli than S.aureus, at p<0.05 level. Inhibition diameters for E.coli, ranged from 9mm (s.d 3.6) to 20mm (s.d 2.65), while inhibition diameters for S.aureus ranged from 9mm (s.d 4.58) to 14mm (s.d 1.73). All assay temperatures were tolerated for 2 hours, with 370C and 250C yielding the optimal growth. At 40C and 420C, strain mLb59 (Lactobacilli plantarum) increased slightly. With the exception of strain L59, the chosen LABS were tolerant to both alkaline and acidic pH for 2 hours of incubation, with no cell counts after 1 hour at pH2 and optimal growth at pH 6.5. According to the findings of this study, the LABS isolated from pigs in this study are of genera Lactococcus and Lactobacilli and show probiotic activity against E.coli and S.aureus. These LABS can withstand a wide pH and temperature range and can be recommended for further in-vitro testing as potential probiotic therapy.

Car hire mobile application provides customers with a wide variety of cars to book and order for 24-hours a day. Most car hire customers in Uganda have a limited number of cars to choose from hence the need for the Car hire app. This report is a detailed compilation of all activities we engaged in while developing the car hire mobile application. It involves chapter 1 which is about the background to the problem, problem statement, objectives and the scope, chapter 2 which is about the literature review, chapter 3 which is made up of the methodology, chapter 4 which consists of system study, analysis and design, chapter 5 which is about system implementation, testing and validation and chapter 6 which consists of the conclusion. Some of the problems faced were high costs of data and unstable network connectivity. Due to unstable network, some online interviews and questionnaires were interrupted as they were being carried out, which made the data collection process tedious. The main objective was achieved by successfully developing a car hire mobile application. The project enabled me to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during my course of study at Ndejje University.

Seasonal agriculture is increasingly becoming incapable of providing sufficient food for the growing population and as a result irrigation is necessary. There have been developments in irrigation using traditional methods. Traditional methods are not effective since farmers do not know how much water should be applied and the time of its application. The aim of this project was to develop a system that detects changes in soil moisture levels, quantify the soil moisture deficit and triggers instant irrigation for a specified period of time. A low-cost sensor data-driven water-use efficient automation system was required to precisely schedule and meter irrigation. The main objective of this project was to design, construct and evaluate an automated drip irrigation control system that would increase water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture. The specific objectives were to create the system AI algorithm in C++ that will control the system, to design a core circuitry to house the algorithm from the environmental conditions and to test and evaluate the system functionality. The system AI algorithm was developed using C++ program. This algorithm was the set of instructions written on a micro controller to be executed in a certain sequence. The algorithm checked the tank level and sensed the soil moisture content and triggered the pump and solenoid valve. The program contained irrigation specific information, irrigation trigger commands and irrigation timing formulae. The C++ program consisted of the equations for irrigation scheduling and for tank refill pump running time. The system electro-ware was constructed. This comprised of capacitors, transistors, resistors and integrated circuits (ICs) which were chosen to check the tank level, sense soil moisture variations, trigger the pump and auto open and close the solenoid valve. The tank level sensor was evaluated by comparing the readings measured manually using a tape measure and those displayed by the kit screen. The pump was tested for auto switching on and off when the tank level was below 20% and above 80% respectively. The C++ program designed was able to detect, quantify the changes in the soil moisture, schedule irrigation and trigger the irrigation solenoid valve and automatically run the pump. The electro-ware system was able to house the program and interact effectively. The tank level sensor values obtained from measuring using the tape measure corresponded with the values read by the system. The pump turned on automatically when the tank level decreased to 200litres (20%) and off when the water level in the overhead tank reached 800litres (80%). The soil moisture sensors were validated by recording the sensor readings and comparing with the values from gravimetric method. A paired t-test was carried out on the readings from the kit and those from gravimetric method and the mean difference was found not to be zero. The system was able to apply a specified amount of water each time the soil moisture deficit occurred for a corresponding period of time. The system was found to be efficient in scheduling irrigation.

Dessert bananas suffer substantial postharvest losses due to mechanical forces during transport and distribution. This work aimed at determining the textural properties and mechanical strength of three dessert banana varieties at different stages of ripeness. Bunches of three desert bananas varieties (fhia, bogoya and ndiizi) were harvested at mature green stage and kept at room temperature. The changes in their postharvest texture in compression (with or without rind) and abrasion modes together with the physico-chemical properties including pH, acidity, TSS and ripeness scores were then determined every after 48hours. At the sametime, the relative humidity and room temperature were also recorded, from the day of reception of materials until the bananas exceeded stage 7 of ripening. For all the varieties, textural properties and fruit characteristics changed with the stage of ripening. TSS increased at different rates as ripening progressed, ndiizi had the highest initial TSS, followed by bogoya and fhia that had the similar amounts. Additionally, the TSS for ndiizi increased immediately, that of fhia after 4 days while that of bogoya increased after 6 days. Ndiizi had the highest final TSS, followed by bogoya and then fhia in that order. In all the varieties, the ripening score increased only after day 6 until a constant maximum score after day 14. The pH generally reduced to a minimum and then became constant as in ndiizi or further increased to a constant value as in bogoya and fhia. The acidity of the dessert bananas generally increased to a maximum value and thereafter decreased; fhia reached the highest acidity at day 6, followed by ndiizi at day 8 and lastly bogoya at day 10, respectively as ripening progressed. The textural hardness and toughness for all varieties decreased as ripening progressed; within a variety, the harness and toughness was higher with rind (peel) than without rind.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, a disease previously known for "the rich'', has become a health problem affecting both the rich and poor. The disease has increasingly become prevalent in adults and the elderly. Diabetes mellitus is a medical complication characterized by an elevation of blood glucose level. The increasing prevalence of T2DM has not been counteracted with enough sensitization about the dietary management of disease. This study aimed at identifying dietary patterns of type 2 diabetic patients in Jinja Regional Referral Hospital (JRRH). Methodology: The study was carried out at JRRH and the study population consisted of adults (20 years to 65 years) with a sample size of 105 participants. Purposive sampling was used and data collected using anthropometry, questionnaires and 24 hour recall. Nutrition status (BMI), food groups consumed and relationship between diabetes and obesity were determined. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Results: Results showed that the majority of the participants were female (58.1%) and most of the participants had basic education. The results showed that 48.6% of the participants were overweight and 20% obese. Only 25% of the participants had normal BMI whereas 5.7% were underweight. Majority of the people (98.1%) were not engaged in smoking and alcohol consumption. There was no significant relationship (P>0.05) between T2DM and the study variables of BMI, dietary intake, smoking and alcohol consumption. However, Cross tabulation between marital statuses, nature of work of the participants and type 2 diabetes mellitus showed significant relationship with p-values of 0.46 and 0.009 respectively. Conclusion: The findings of this study have revealed that majority of the participants had three meals per day, however the energy intake was low (52.8%, 1800Kcal). The most consumed food groups were cereals and legumes. Fruit consumption among these patients was very low. There was no relationship between almost all the study variables and type 2 diabetes mellitus. There was high consumption of high energy foods such as cereals and plantain. The consumption of high energy foods poses high risks of obesity and the possible outcomes like type 2 diabetes. There is more need for sensitization on dietary intake and further investigation on dietary patterns of diabetic patients.