Inspite of the substantial progress made in terms of improving the efficiency, competitiveness and stability of Uganda’s financial system, a concern still remains in terms of the high numbers of NPLs (Non-Performing Loans) in banks’ balance sheets. In recent years especially 2011 to 2012, there has been an increase in NPLs, causing significant losses for banks and at the same time constraining the scope of bank credit to borrowers, moreover the main goal of every banking institution is to operate profitably in order to maintain stability and sustainable growth. This study was conducted to identify the determinants of NPLs in Uganda’s Banking sector using time series data for the period 1980 to 2012. The main objective of the study was to establish whether macroeconomic factors (real GDP growth rate, interest rate) and bank specific factors (Return on Asset, Credit growth and the Loan Loss Reserve rate) contribute to the occurrence of NPLs in Uganda’s banking sector. This study adopted the Error Correction Model and the estimated results indicated that all study variables were significant. In particular, NPLs increase with increase in the real interest rate, credit growth and Loan Loss Reserve rate, while they decline with increase in real GDP growth rate and return on asset. The study recommended the need for appropriate macroeconomic policies so as to achieve macroeconomic stability. In particular, the monetary policy should aim at that CBR rate that can enable commercial banks set moderate interest rates to their customers, control government borrowing that crowds out private lending as a result of high interest rates and use of prudential banking policies such as setting high bank capital adequacy ratios, which reduce the adverse impact of macro problems on banks. The study also recommended improving efficiency of bank management and making use of the Credit Reference Bureau.

Empirical evidence has shown that innovation is a major determinant of firm growth in developed and developing countries. However, little is known about the impact of innovation on firm growth in LICs like those in the East African region. This study attempts to fill this gap in the literature using a modified Crepon-Duguet-Mairesse (CDM) structure model to analyze data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey of 2754 firms in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. The study examines the role of product and process innovation in explaining firm growth. Furthermore, it investigates how innovation interacts with firm-level resources to explain firm growth in East Africa. Proxies for firm growth used are sales, employment and productivity growth. We hypothesize that product and process innovation positively and independently affect firm growth and also exhibit complementarity effects. In addition, we hypothesize that innovation moderates the effect of firm-level resources on firm growth. The set hypotheses are tested using a Two Stage Least Squares estimation strategy. Overall, the results suggest that product and process innovation positively and significantly affect the three proxies of firm growth. The results also reveal evidence of complementarity effects of product and process innovation on sales, employment and productivity growth. In addition, results show that product and process innovation positively moderate the effect of firm-level resources on firm growth. Key words: Product innovation; process innovation; firm growth; East Africa

This study examined the effect of tax evasion on economic growth in the East African Community for the period 2001 to 2017. The study adopted the theoretical framework advanced by Bekoe (2013) to examine the effect of tax evasion on economic growth. An interaction effect between the tax evasion variable and the public sector investment variable was incorporated into the econometric model. Annual secondary data from the World Bank Database for World Development Indicators, Medina & Schneider (2018) and African Statistical Yearbooks were used. The Feasible Generalised Least Squares estimation approach was used in the study to account for the presence of heteroscedasticity and auto-correlation. There was a positive relationship between tax evasion and economic growth in the East African Community. However, after interacting the tax evasion and public sector investment variables, there was a negative relationship between tax evasion and economic growth through a reduction in public sector investment. In order to reduce tax evasion and encourage economic growth through an increase in public sector investments, the Governments should broaden the tax base, fight corruption, increase awareness among tax payers and reduce the cost of complying with the law.

Music as a tool in empowering vulnerable children has to Uganda in different contexts. This study was carried out to examine the role of music in empowering vulnerable children in Kampala. The study documented the attitudes and perceptions of vulnerable children regarding music therapy programs in which they are engaged and also to bring to light the benefits and challenges in using music as an empowering tool to vulnerable children. A qualitative approach was used and purposive sampling techniques were employed. Data were collected using personal interviews, audio and video recordings, documentary research and photography. The findings of the study revealed that, music empowers young children and provides them with opportunities to develop talents and social and life skills that enable them to express themselves creatively. In addition, music provides the children with a safe environment, boosts their memory, promotes a positive mood and makes them become good leaders through their acquired self-confidence. Study findings are discussed in terms of their implications to establishing music programs in organizations, pedagogical approaches and their general usefulness in the lives of vulnerable children.

Uganda is one of the largest producing and exporting countries of coffee in Africa. Coffee production significantly contributes to both domestic and foreign earnings in the country, besides being a fundamental and primary source of labour, especially for the rural smallholder farmers. However, the coffee export earnings keep fluctuating, affecting farmers and the country’s economy, yet the causing factors have not been well investigated. This study was conducted to find out the effect of an increase of real gross domestic product of the coffee major trading partner the European Union (EU), gross capital formation, foreign direct investment, trade openness, effect of the coffee export index, increase in the world coffee price, effect of the non-traditional agricultural exports, improved liberalization policy, and good coffee replanting programs on coffee export earnings. Annual time series data (1975-2016) and the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) model augmented by the bounds test were used for estimation. The results reveal that the coffee export index has a significant positive effect on coffee export earnings in the long run. This implies that over time, relative increase in the coffee exports has favoured the coffee export earnings. In order to improve the coffee export earnings and benefit from policy changes, Uganda has to focus on increasing relative coffee exports, increase the gross capital formation and aim at getting the best world coffee prices.

The main objective of this study was to establish the effect of export trade on economic growth in Uganda for the period 1983 to 2018. The data obtained from World Bank website (development indicators) were annual secondary time series. The study was based on the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) which can appropriately be modified to accommodate the peculiarities of a developing country like Uganda. Analytically, the study generated an Auto Regressive Distributed Lag model (ARDL) after testing for unit root using the; ADF unit root test which revealed study variables were integrated of order zero and order one. The results from the ARDL model did not have any omitted variables or suffer from the problems of spurious regression, heteroscedasticity, or model stability. The findings of the study indicate that both import trade and export trade were found to have a significant effect on economic growth in Uganda both in the short run and long run. From the causality analysis, it was also found out that economic growth causes export trade while export trade does not cause economic growth in Uganda for the period under study The study recommended adoption of an advanced import substitution strategy that does not only produce for the local market but also produces for export and also adoption of an export promotion strategy by specifically adopting capital intensive mechanisms of production as opposed to Labour intensive mechanisms of production to boost exports in the short run and consequently in the long run

This study aimed at assessing the effects of procurement methods on project /program performance. The researcher focused on Uganda National Bureau of standards (UNBS) as a case study. UNBS was selected for this study because it was one of the major public institutions with a significant portfolio of public projects. The research design used was descriptive-explanatory. The source of data was mainly primary data. In analyzing the information in the study the researcher used spear man’s correlation, linear regression model, and chi-square test. The results revealed that domestic and international competitive bidding had a positive statistically significant impact on project performance keeping other factors constant. The findings also further revealed that there was a weak positive correlation coefficient between procurement methods and project performance. The study recommends that UNBS should ensure that it chooses appropriate procurement method to help in the management of a given project. There is also need for adequate supervision and considering the capacity of the suppliers before awarding contracts. This will enable the organization to enhance and achieve targets, value for money, saving costs for better performance in specific projects. Key words: Procurement methods and project performance.

The competitive level in international trade has continued to rise from period to period especially over the last three decades, partly due to globalization and enlightened customer base that has become more demanding in their quest to link what is consumed and the social problem that affects majority of the producer countries. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of fair trade practices on the export performance of the coffee factories in Kiambu County. The study incorporated four major fairtrade practices exercised by firms enrolled with fair-trade organization. These practices comprised of safe working environment, discrimination and child labour, environmental conservation and eradication of poverty. The research used a cross-sectional descriptive survey for this investigation on the population that comprised of 67 coffee factories in Kiambu County. From the descriptive statistics, the study established that majority of coffee factories in Kiambu County have moderately achieved implementation of fair-trade practices considered in the study. Similarly, the study concluded that through implementation of fair trade practices strategies, there has been increase in coffee supply to factories leading to increase in export volume. Based on the findings, the study recommends that coffee factories should educate employees on various fair-trade practices that help gain sustainable supply of coffee to factories as a consequent of good returns to the farmers. The scope of the study was limited to coffee production industry in Kenya. Consequently, it is suggested that a study be undertaken on more than one production sector to compare the results and get a more representative finding.

This study focused on compliance with regulations governing operations in the public transport sector. Using three SACCO’s with vehicles that ply the Rongai-Nairobi route, the study sought to (i) assess factors that affect Saccos in enforcing labor regulations, (ii) identify challenges Matatu SACCO face while enforcing labor regulations and, (iii) establish ways that SACCOs can use to enhance labor laws compliance in the matatu sector. The study used a mixed method approach in data collection that included review of literature from different sources, as well as collection of primary data from interviews conducted among forty-one respondents in the three SACCOs under study. Key informant interviews were also conducted with officials among them traffic police and Matatu Owners Association representatives. The study was guided by System theory, and used descriptive research design. Telephone interviews were conducted due to the Covid-19 limitations, and the need to comply with the Ministry of health Covid-19 guidelines. The study established that matatu owners contribute to Sacco’s non-compliance to labour laws. The owners who are investors site high business operational costs visa-vie the profit made. Therefore, they cannot sustain the law requirements of a permanent staff. The sector creates informal jobs which limit workers from benefitting from the labour laws provisions in the Employment Act 2007 and the International Labor Laws. The rights provided for includes having employment contracts, provision of social protection in regards to NHIF and NSSF, paid annual leave and maternity leaves. Lack of enforcement has hampered successful implementation subjecting workers to long working hours of up 15 hours in a day. The study also found out that female workers uptake has increased gradually from 2003 to date. The study recommends the need for enhanced training of workers, sector workers and stakeholders’ involvement in decision and policy making on issues affecting the sector and strengthening of government institutions and mechanisms to monitor and constantly evaluate compliance with labour laws. The same can be implemented across the entire public transport sector in Kenya for effective running of the matatu sector. It will also aid in progressive realization of the sector’s economic potential, formalization and job creation capacity of the working generation. Further, the study recommends similar studies to be conducted to bring out other factors that may have been overlooked.

In an era of rapid technological advancement, the potential for using knowledge management to improve project implementation quality is growing at an exponential rate. Knowledge management may play a critical role in both preventing humanitarian disasters and capacity building to better disaster response, as well as helping to improve coordination as well as communication in emergency situations. When assessing the effectiveness of humanitarian aid, a precise weight is placed on the application of knowledge management in novel habits to humanitarian projects, as it is an essential constituent in extending the impact, reach, and programs scale started by global humanitarian organizations. “This research aimed at analyzing the knowledge management capabilities influence on performance at UNOPS guided by the following objectives; to establish the influence of knowledge acquisition on performance, to study the effect of knowledge application on performance, to study the effect of knowledge transfer on performance and to establish the effect of knowledge protection on performance. This research adopted the knowledge based view theory, resource based view theory and dynamic capabilities theory. A descriptive research design was used in this research. The 386 employees at UNOPS served as the research population. Sample size was 112 respondents arrived at using Yamane formula. This research relied on primary data collected via questionnaires. Google forms were made use of in the questionnaire administration. The collected data was upgraded into quantitative form to enable analysis via SPSS. The statistics generated were descriptive statistics that was inclusive of mean as well as standard deviation and inferential statistics that was inclusive of both correlation analysis as well as multiple linear regression. The study revealed a significant positive correlation between knowledge application, knowledge acquisition, knowledge protection, knowledge transfer and performance at UNOPS. Regression analysis revealed that 93.3% of changes in performance at UNOPS were attributed to the four variables selected in this study. In conclusion, knowledge acquisition, knowledge application, knowledge transfer and knowledge protection are essential in enhancing performance. Based on the findings, knowledge protection recorded the greatest influence on performance followed by knowledge transfer while knowledge acquisition and knowledge application had the least influence. As a result, it is recommended that UNOPS managers and policymakers should continue utilizing knowledge management capabilities, as this improves their performance.