The study analyzes the effect of government domestic borrowing on private sector credit in Uganda for the period 1988-2020 using time series data. The data was obtained from the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), Bank of Uganda and the World Bank‟s World Development Indicators. The study employs the unit root test of Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) and Philips Perron (PP). The co-integration was analyzed by the bounds test. The Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) technique was used to find the long-run and short-run co-integration relationship between the independent variables and private sector credit. The results show that government domestic debt has a positive and significant relationship with private sector credit in the long run. Inflation has a positive and significant relationship with private sector credit in the long run. These results confirm that the domestic borrowing by the government in Uganda positively affects private sector credit. This means that there is need for continuous government borrowing so as to absorb the credit in banks that isn‟t absorbed by the private sector. The banks should also ensure effectives in channeling resources to the private sector so as to encourage private sector borrowing.

The East African Community has registered a proliferation of financial institutions. These are widely spread across the region and aim at increasing access to financial services. However, access to credit is still limited and this continues to hinder the growth of small and medium enterprises yet these enterprises play a major role in reducing unemployment and poverty as well as providing a breeding ground for innovations. This study aims at exploring the determinants of access to credit by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the East African Community. The study uses the World Bank Enterprise Survey data and employs a Heckman Probit Model. The study explores the key determinants of access to credit among which include the following; Firm size, Ownership by gender, Export status, Location, Age of the firm, Innovation, Riskiness, Legal status, and Sales. Findings indicate that Innovation increases the likelihood of access to credit by 4.2 percent and this is statistically significant at all conventional levels. Furthermore, results show that the presence of risk in form of crime reduces the chance of receiving a loan by around 1.9 percent which is statistically significant at 5 percent conventional level. This indicates that an increase in innovation and risk reduction are crucial in increasing access to credit by SMEs in the EAC. The study, therefore, recommends an increase in both product and process innovation by firms, strengthening of security by both the government and privately by firms to guard against crime, and promoting the growth of firms to boost their likelihoods of access to credit. Keywords: Access to credit, Heckman Probit

The need to balance the savings-investment gap and offset fiscal deficits in developing countries over the years has continued to propel and compel their governments to source for external finance outside of domestic revenues and internal borrowing to bridge this gap with the intention of achieving economic growth and poverty reduction. This is usually in the form of Official Development Assistance (ODA), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), External Debt Stock (EDS). However, there is no solid consensus among scholars on the actual effectiveness of external financing inflows in economic growth and development Given its importance to the economies of developing countries, it is therefore important to understand and evaluate the contribution of external financing, specifically ODA, FDI and EDS to economic growth in Uganda and thus this study. A co-integrating test to determine the relation among the variables and establish whether there exists a long run relation between them was done using Vector Auto Regression (VAR) methodology. The set of variables were found to have at most four (4) cointegrating vectors, and the VECM (Vector Error Correction Model) estimation technique which adjusts to both short run changes in variables and deviations from equilibrium was used. The error correction term in the VECM model showed that external financing has no effect on economic growth of Uganda in the short run. The VECM results for long run relationship between the variables further revealed that external financing significantly influences economic growth in the long run in Uganda, with external debt stock and official development assistance showing a significant negative effect, while foreign direct investment revealed significant positive effect on economic growth. The study concluded that external financing variables can be veritable tools for long run economic planning for a developing country like Uganda. However, the use of external financing, especially, external debt, foreign direct investment, and official development assistance for short run economic challenges would be counterproductive. It is therefore recommended that the government of Uganda must adopt fiscal adjustment mechanisms that can enhance its revenue profile through improved taxes rather than borrowing, attract FDI into Uganda by creating an enabling macroeconomic environment while foreign aid should be critically monitored and scrutinized by the government.

This study looked at the contribution of an improved transport system to the economic development of a country by analyzing the nexus between government expenditure on road infrastructure and economic development in Uganda. In doing so, the study reviewed the 1982 -2016 period using annual data. The study found out that there is an equilibrium relationship between government spending on road infrastructure and economic development in the long run. The estimation results showed that an increase in government expenditure on road infrastructure causes an increase in output growth. It was therefore concluded that government expenditure on road infrastructure has a significant positive effect on economic development in Uganda. The study recommends that government increases construction and regular maintenance of roads. This has an advantage in that it will help in providing increased access of rural areas to the various markets consequently stimulating the agricultural sector and also will increase the country’s competitiveness especially in the East African region through the reduced transaction costs brought about by increased access across borders.

Creation of better youth employment opportunities is a key policy challenge across the globe leading to high rate unemployment and this affects youths‟ welfare, economic performance and social stability. In Uganda, it was estimated at 62 percent and above in 2017. Coffee contributes approximately 20-30 percent to foreign exchange earnings and supports over 3.5 million people across the entire value chain. But the participants in the sub-sector are majorly elderly people operating a poor production chain and youths are not motivated and do not see job opportunities in the sub-sector due to limited access to productive assets and a general negative attitude towards perennial crops, which negatively impacts the development and sustainable contribution of the sector. It is thus imperative to seek innovative avenues of supporting interested unemployed youths to grasp opportunities in the coffee value chain. Therefore, the general objective of this paper is examination of youths targeted agriculture programmes intended to address youth unemployment in Uganda. Subsequently, three specific three objectives were set out to identify: (i) growth prospects of the coffee sub-sector in the Uganda; (ii) Youths’ competences and capabilities in the coffee value chain activities and (iii) Avenues through which interested unemployed youths can be supported to engage in coffee value chain activities. Beside, three research questions were generated namely: (i) What are the growth prospects of the coffee subsector in Uganda? (ii) Do youths have the competences and capability to engage in coffee value chain activities? and (iii) What can be done to support interested unemployed youths to engage in the coffee value chain activities? A mixed-model research design applying both quantitative and qualitative approaches was employed both in data collection and analysis. Online sources were employed to obtain the relevant data and information. Objective one involved evaluation of: Uganda‟s total production, domestic consumption and export of coffee data from 2010/11 to 2016/17, performance of the top ten formal Agricultural export commodities and the gross value added by the different actors in the coffee value chain. In objective two, the key competences and capabilities for each stage of the value chain, challenges faced, the recommended solutions, the missing chain links and the constraints that prevent youths from coffee value chain engagement were identified and a SWOT analysis was used as interpretive filter. Under objective three, two key existing interventions for youth employment namely: The Youth Capital Venture Fund and the Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) programmes were evaluated and strategies were accordingly proposed. Study findings under objective one revealed that 93 percent of the average annual coffee produced is exported and the export value of coffee is more pronounced than all the other formal agriculture export commodities over the 7-year horizon which is quite significant. The annual domestic consumption of coffee averaged at 6 percent only and this is still too low. In addition, the volume of coffee produced is quite unstable and its quality is still poor across the value chain notwithstanding the obtaining low level of value addition. Besides, the coffee brand is still not yet known in key coffee consuming countries and it is still used as a blend despite its superior quality. These present growth prospects for production expansion, revenue expansion and domestic consumption expansion through value addition and effective engagement of youths with relevant skills across the entire value chain. Under objective two, findings show that youths are quite competent to engage in the sub-sector given their ability to adapt fast to new and advanced technologies; proficiency in using ICTs, vast knowledge and skills and strong team work skills. However, they have notable weaknesses of higher preference for: white collar jobs; work in urban areas; quick money, inadequate knowledge, skills and financial constraints. Besides, youths face quite a number of threats including: the negative perception by Financial Services Providers (FSPs); limited access to information; climate change and extreme weather conditions, prevalence of pests and diseases and fluctuation in the prices of coffee. But there are outstanding opportunities that they can exploit namely: availability of unexploited and underutilized land, coffee value addition, availability and increasing demand for coffee and its value-added products and availability of Technical, Vocation Education and Training (TVET) institutions for bridging the technical know-how gap. Lastly, findings in objective three revealed that the available interventions do not suit and are not tailored to the unique specificities of the unemployed youths, the unique attributes of coffee as a perennial and yet a major cash crop and the seasonality component of the agriculture sector as a whole. To this end, a number of strategies have been proposed basing on the key constraints for youth engagement and these include: development of suitable land reforms and financial products; tailoring education and training systems to the specific needs of the sub-sector and creation of a more positive image of the sub-sector. In addition, effective engagement requires modernization of the sub-sector and calls for collective responsibility and close cooperation by the key stakeholders in the coffee subsector. (Key words: Youths, Unemployment, coffee, value chain)

This study examined the application of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution method in Uganda particularly in the High Court Commercial Division. The study specifically sought to; i) examine the application of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution method; ii) establish the effectiveness of mediation as an alternative dispute resolution method in Uganda; and iii) establish the challenges being faced in applying mediation as an alternative dispute resolution at the Commercial Court Division. The study employed a blend of case study design and cross sectional survey design to achieve best results. 32 respondents participated in the study, majority of whom (15 respondents) were drawn from judges and registrars of the commercial court, followed by 6 advocates who appear mostly before the commercial court, 7 accredited mediators and 4 litigants. Study findings indicate that though mediation has been made mandatory at the commercial court, there is still need for sensitization of people on the mediation rules and availability of ADR as a mode of disposing of Court cases. Similarly, a number of judges, registrars, magistrates and advocates trained in mediation in an effort to have experts in mediation. Part of the effectiveness of mediation has been to reduce case backlog, help conflicting parties find a solution acceptable to both and hence maintain a relationship after the case. Mediation has also been successful in terms of cost and time effectiveness, increased transparency and public trust in the judicial system especially at the commercial court. The study established that mediation still faces a number of challenges like advocates who prefer the adversarial system and advise their clients to go for ordinary litigation or stall the mediation process until the stipulated time for mediation is over. There is still a need for more sensitization of Ugandans regarding mediation. The study concludes that the application of mediation process at the commercial court though in its infancy is moving in the right direction. The study recommends review of the current legal framework to bring it at the same level with emerging trends in society, increase funding for mediation and sensitization of the community on the availability of ADR at the Commercial Court Division.

This study investigated the effect of remittances on Uganda’s economic growth using annual data for the period 1986 to 2017. In this study, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model was used. The variables that were considered consisted of real GDP per capita, remittances per unit of labor, real effective exchange rate, foreign direct investment per unit of labor, gross capital formation per unit of labor, human capital per unit of labor and public debt per unit of labor. According to the ARDL model results; remittances showed a significant negative effect on economic growth at 5 percent level and the same was found in the short run but insignificant at 5 percent. The study also noted that even though economic growth might float in the short run, it adjusts by 59.3 percent to close the gap between the present level and the long run equilibrium level. Thus, the Ugandan Government is recommended to train the public in financial planning and business management such that remittances can effectively harness economic growth. The Government is also encouraged to support any efforts aimed at improving domestic financial institutions, since strong institutions seem to be better at unlocking the potential for remittances to contribute to growth faster.

The study examined the legal control of misconduct by undercover law enforcement officers. The general objective of the study was to assess the adequacy of the legal controls in place in Uganda in preventing, deterring, and remedying misconduct by undercover state agents during undercover operations. The study adopted convenience sampling in selecting the key informants in order to ensure that key informants possessed the required knowledge to participate in the study and to overcome challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic. Purposive sampling technique was used to ensure diversity. The final sample consisted of nine key informants and seventy members of the public. The primary data collection tools were an interview guide to conduct in-depth interviews of key informants and a questionnaire that was answered by other respondents. The respondents answered the questionnaire anonymously. The key findings of the study revealed that law enforcement agencies in Uganda use undercover operations during investigations. The study also revealed that there is no specific statute or regulations governing the initiation, supervision, use and termination of undercover operations. It was also established that though Uganda has laws that regulate investigations by law enforcement agencies, there are various weaknesses in these laws especially the failure of the laws to expressly regulate undercover operations. Other weaknesses in the legal framework include the lack of internal rules and procedures on the initiation, supervision and termination of undercover operations, failure to enforce rules and regulations that do exist, failure by the Inspectorate of Government to provide independent oversight to law enforcement agencies contrary to its legal mandate and practice of shielding law enforcement agents from incurring the personal consequences of their misconduct. The study advanced various solutions to improve the aforementioned legal framework. The recommendations include, enacting a Covert Investigations Act to regulate undercover policing in Uganda so as to clarify how undercover operations are initiated, supervised and terminated by law enforcement agencies and establishing an Independent Inspector General Office for Law enforcement agencies to ensure independent oversight of the use of investigative powers by law enforcement agencies in Uganda , among others.

Despite the availability of effective interventions, malaria remains one of the most important diseases in Uganda, causing significant morbidity, mortality and negative socio-economic impact. According to the Uganda Malaria Indicator Survey (UMIS) report of 2015, malaria is responsible for between 30 to 50 percent of outpatient visits, 15 to 20 percent of admissions, and 9 to 14 percent of inpatient deaths. Both Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) and Insecticide Treated Net usage if well managed, significantly reduces the rate of malaria transmission. However, indoor residual spraying has been identified to be associated with a comparatively lesser malarial infection rate than Insecticide Treated Net usage. A comparison of infection rate across 15 districts in mid northern Uganda indicates that infection rate was three times higher in the non IRS districts of Lira, Otuke, Alebtong, Dokolo and Amolatar than in the IRS districts of Apac, Kole, Oyam, Gulu and Agago which were sprayed six months prior to December 2014 UMIS data collection. In the districts without the IRS intervention, 67% of households had at least a child testing positive of malaria compared to 20% of households in districts where IRS was implemented. This study examined the relationship between malaria infection rate among children below the age of five in households exposed to either one or both Insecticide Treated Net usage and Indoor Residual Praying as vector control measures. A total of 532 households with children under the age of five, were included in the study to identify the malaria preventive measure associated with least malaria prevalence rate. The study provides relevant insights in identifying factors forex plaining the 2015 malaria outbreak in northern Uganda. Using data from the Uganda Malaria Indicators survey of 2014-15 for which blood samples from children were tested for malaria parasites using Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and microscopic blood smear test for malaria, five selected socio economic factors were examined and their effects on household malaria infection. A logit regression analysis revealed that the malaria infection rate in Northern Uganda is associated with housing quality (OR= 0.552* and P-vale=0.061), Households’ wealth index (OR=0.992 and P-value=0.442), spraying of dwellings (OR=0.166*** and P-Value =0.000), type of residence (OR=0.400* and P-vale=0.070), ratio of household members to number of ITNs (OR=0.748*** and P-vale =0.027) and Number of children sleeping under ITN previous night. Therefore, the malaria outbreak in the former IRS districts in Northern Uganda between April and July of 2015, few months after government’s mass distribution of ITN, had a lot to do with; i)Poor housing quality characterizing the rural northern Uganda (mainly made up of; grass thatched roofs, mud walls and dust floors) which affects longevity of the IRS chemicals especially when people smear their walls and floors. Poor housing quality also affects proper net maintenance and provide habitat for resting mosquitoes due to cracked walls and many opening in the house, ii) Other social factors that affects net use in households such as; ratio of household members to net, lack of rooms and beds leave people with option of sharing nets. As a recommendation therefore, for any large malaria control programme, it is important that; (i) Continuous mass malaria sensitization and awareness campaign tailored to specific demographic and cultural sections of the community is implemented to enhance adoptive and behavioral change, (ii) further research on efficacy different between irritant and non-irritant insecticides used be considered in ensuring that most effective method or chemical is used, (iii) and lastly; malaria eradication can never be achieved without improved housing or dwellings. This is due to a number of health factors associated with good dwelling.