The Ugandan Journal of Management and Public Policy Studies

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The Ugandan Journal of Management and Public Policy Studies is a multidisciplinary Journal publishing a wide range of articles relating to public administration, management, leadership and public policy, from empirical studies and theoretical orientations to practical application. The Journal reviews books, essays, and research notes that are relevant to both scholars, practitioners involved at all levels of administration and management from various organisational forms including business firms, non-governmental organisations and public institutions and individual networks

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Accelerating the fight against corruption in Uganda: Strengthening the coalition between Anti-Corruption agencies and the media
(Uganda Management Institute, 2016-11) Karyeija Kagambirwe, Gerald
This article seeks to examine how the media contributes to corruption, the need to report on corruption with intent to create awareness as a preventive measure, and how the media can partner with anti-corruption agencies to accelerate the ﬁght against corruption in Uganda. In order to achieve these objectives, the article used documentary analysis, literature review and interviews. The argument in the article is that the media has a big role to play in the ﬁght against corruption, beginning with acknowledging that there is manifestation of corruption practices – cash for news, staged or fake news, gifts and advertisement, nepotism and media capture. Therefore the media has to overcome corruption within its own ranks. Other means through which the media can contribute towards the ﬁght against corruption include both tangible and intangible ways. It also emphasizes that there is urgent need for the media to participate in corruption prevention, through the launching of investigation by authorities, the scrapping of laws or policies promoting opportunities for corruption, the impeachment or forced resignation of corrupt politicians, the ﬁring of ofﬁcials, the launching of judicial proceedings; and since the ﬁght against corruption is a collective responsibility, then the media has to partner with anti-corruption agencies to accelerate the ﬁght against corruption in Uganda. We cannot ignore the critical role of the media in the ﬁght against corruption, and together the various actors can curb corruption in the country through a coalition of willing anti-corruption crusaders.
Accounting for UPE implementation: the contribution of school management committees
(Uganda Management Institute, 2017-11) Wahitu, Fred
The political promise of free primary education but also for the wider reasons of closing the education gap of Access, Quality and Equity. The introduction of UPE coincided with the abolition of Parents Teachers’ Associations (PTAs) which were associated with the collection of fees from especially parents to supplement government grants to schools. The Education Act 2008 introduced School Management Committees (SMCs) to be in charge of public primary schools on behalf of government. Using a multiple case study approach involving four SMCs representing the four regions of Uganda, this article investigated the role of SMCs in Universal Primary Education. The selection of the four that SMCs were involved in the planning, budgeting, mobilization of the community and monitoring of the school activities. What was apparent, though, was that such activities were implemented differently across the SMCs due to differences in technical and the three out of four SMCs. As a way of conclusion, SMCs are very supportive of UPE, but government needs to train and regulate them.
Accounting for UPE implementation: The contribution of school management committees
(Uganda Management Institute, 2017-11) Wahitu, Fred
The political promise of free primary education but also for the wider reasons of closing the education gap of Access, Quality and Equity. The introduction of UPE coincided with the abolition of Parents Teachers’ Associations (PTAs) which were associated with the collection of fees from especially parents to supplement government grants to schools. The Education Act 2008 introduced School Management Committees (SMCs) to be in charge of public primary schools on behalf of government. Using a multiple case study approach involving four SMCs representing the four regions of Uganda, this article investigated the role of SMCs in Universal Primary Education. The selection of the four that SMCs were involved in the planning, budgeting, mobilization of the community and monitoring of the school activities. What was apparent, though, was that such activities were implemented differently across the SMCs due to differences in technical and the three out of four SMCs. As a way of conclusion, SMCs are very supportive of UPE, but government needs to train and regulate them.
Balance of payments deficits in Uganda: Should they concern us?
(Uganda Management Institute, 2017-11) Guloba, Asumani
This article uses the International Monetary Fund (IMF) external vulnerability assessment framework to analyze Uganda’s Balance of Payments (BoP) data to ascertain whether BoP is largely sustainable based on external vulnerability assessment, persistent current instead of more sustainable FDI is steadily leading to a build-up of debt. Further, reserves falling below sustainable levels. While addressing persistent current account to improve Uganda’s BoP position. Here, addressing causes of imbalances in the current account will be critical. Towards this end, ensuring value for money in public investments will be crucial in not only reducing build-up of debt but also providing the economy wide decades, it may be necessary for Uganda to take transitory measures to manage the BoP.
Building ethics and integrity in the public sector in Uganda: A search for a superlative approach
(2015-03) Kyohairwe, Stella B.
Building ethics and integrity in the public sector is a great concern for governments aiming at realizing good governance principles and for ensuring appropriate public administration and management. It is noted, however, that while efforts for guaranteeing ethics and integrity in Uganda’s public sector have always been instituted, the major approach has been centered on using legal approaches within the public sector confines. The tendency to neglect the integration of informal organizational processes and institutions outside the public sector is seen as a substantial explanation of the persisting ethical and integrity issues in managing public institutions. In this article, a theory-based analysis is applied to explore the practices of the public service. Realizing the persistent challenges of public sector ethics and integrity in Uganda, the article raises possible explanations grounded in Joseph A. Patrick and John F. Quinn’s (1997) ethical model. While a wide range of approaches have been employed to eradicate unethical behavior of public servants, it is realized that legal redresses are unable to offer all-round solutions. As such, the emphasis of using moral values and standards is seen as the best alternative solution for public sector management.
Can social media enhance service delivery? Lessons and best practices
(Uganda Management Institute, 2016-11) Ouma, Flavia Kyeyago
Governments are increasingly leveraging social media to deliver better services to the public. These networks are useful for government organizations since they have many interactive and innovative features which aid communication and interaction among citizens and enable them to interact and collaborate with government in the delivery of public services. This exploratory study examines the use of social media and its potential in enhancing public service delivery. The paper discusses the drivers to the use of social media in government, the beneﬁts and lessons learned, and the best practices of managing social media for service delivery. It focuses on the use of social media in two case studies: the UK Metropolitan Police and Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS). We ﬁnd that social media has enabled citizen participation, increased transparency, collaboration and improved accountability in service delivery
Causes and cost of trafﬁc jams in Kampala
(Uganda Management Institute, 2017-05) Mwanje Mambule, Dan
This article investigates the causes and cost of trafﬁc jam in Kampala, through a survey of 291 road users. Narrow roads, indisciplined drivers, poor urban planning, limited car parking and concentration of most economic and social activities in the city were found to be some of the major causes of trafﬁc jams. Travellers lose between 8 and 23 hours every month in trafﬁc jams, with car travel speeds falling from an average of 28 km/h when there is no jam, to between 8 and 14km/h because of trafﬁc jams. Trafﬁc jams could also be lowering the country’s GDP to the tune of UGX 55-163 billion per year due to lost productive time while stuck in trafﬁc jams. To alleviate trafﬁc jams, the article recommends a variety of mitigation strategies from building ﬂyovers and improving the quality of alternative routes, to improving trafﬁc management operations, with congestion pricing believed to likely have the most dramatic effect on trafﬁc congestion. The article further recommends objective involvement of all key stakeholders in the process of determining mitigation policy options, team-working and coordination amongst the agencies responsible for trafﬁc control in the city, and conducting economic analysis for all policy options and prioritizing based on their return on investment and contribution to productivity.
Challenges of Information and Communication Technology usage and accessibility in managing public sector records in Local Governments in Uganda
(Uganda Management Institute, 2015-03) Akra, Henry Ayias
For most developing countries, and more speciﬁcally African countries, the experience in the application of information and communication technology (ICT) to harness knowledge-based economies is still challenging. Hence, this article examines the challenges of ICT accessibility and usage in managing records in local governments (LGs) in Uganda that has abetted inefﬁcient records management practices. The research design was mainly quantitative, and used a structured questionnaire together with interview and observation guides. The study was conducted in three districts and the line Ministry of Local Government. Of the 108 respondents sampled using simple random as well as probability sampling methods, 84 people participated, representing 77.7% response rate. The results indicate a negative but statistical signiﬁcant relationship (-.394**) between the challenges of usage of ICTs and Records Management Practices (RMPs); and a negative but statistical not signiﬁcant relationship (-.108) between the challenges of ICT accessibility and RMPs. This implies that more focus is required on continuous ICT training for LG records staff in appropriate skills and programmes availed to ensure optimal usage of the existing ICT infrastructure to enhance proper RMPs. Even if the relationship between the challenges of accessibility of ICT infrastructure and RMPs was not statistically signiﬁcant, the infrastructure should be availed and continuously upgraded to avoid obsolescence and inaccessibility to enhance proper RMPs in the LGs.
Challenges to policy implementation in Uganda: Reﬂections on politics and the State
(Uganda Management Institute, 2014-09) Khisa, Moses
Like many African countries, Uganda faces the problem of poor or failed implementation of state polices and government programmes. There is a big gulf between policy making and actual implementation. This article locates the source of the problem in the nature of Uganda’s contemporary politics under the regime of President Yoweri Museveni. The article argues that at the root of poor policy implementation is the failure to build robust institutional capacity through a merit-based public system. To understand Uganda’s weak implementation capacity, we need to look at the politics of elite-inclusion and “broad-base” that started with the “Movement” no-party system. By prioritizing the politics of “broad-base,” Museveni’s regime opened up the Ugandan society to wider elite political participation and mass representation, and achieved modest progress in institutionalizing decision/policy-making power. However, simultaneously, the politics of “broad-base” also engendered patronage politics and endemic corruption, which have greatly compromised building the institutional capacity to implement policies and programs. Since 1986, the idea of “broad-base” as the founding approach of power sharing became an entrenched strategy of keeping state power even after reverting to multiparty politics in 2005. The net outcome has been the continuation of deleterious patronage-politics at odds with the imperatives of a development-oriented state.
Community service functions of higher education institutions and socio-economic development in Uganda
(Uganda Management Institute, 2016-11) Barifaijo, Maria K.; Bigabwenkya, Sebastian; Namara B., Rose; Andama A., Felix; Bongomin L., Wilfred
This study examined the link between community service functions of higher education institutions (HEIs) and socio-economic development of localities around these institutions. The study set out to: explore the forms and strategies used by institutions in promoting the community service function; ﬁnd out the contribution of community service to local socio-economic development endeavors in Uganda; and examine the linkage of HEIs research and teaching to community service. Utilizing the interpretive approach and the general collaborative theory, the research was done among three higher Institutions of learning i.e. Uganda Management Institute, Makerere and Gulu Universities where teaching and administrative staff participated in the study. Findings show that there are many strategies used by staff and students in community service, but community service lacks a comprehensive strategy at HEIs level. The contribution of community service to local socio-economic development is not necessarily explicit in communities but the function is intertwined with research and education which all in the end contribute to socio-economic development. Community service is not deliberately linked to socio-economic development of localities as it is linked to promotion of staff and students learning. Besides, community service interventions in many institutions of higher learning are inadequately resourced and lack systematic approach to working for community transformation. The study recommends that for community service to be meaningful, it has to be beneﬁcial to the communities too. There is need to develop costed institutional strategies for community service and development of documentation mechanisms for community service interventions by university actors.
A comparative analysis of the Uganda public service across time since Independence
(Uganda Management Institute, 2016-11) Musubira, Hilda
Uganda attained independence on 9th October, 1962. Since independence, the Uganda Public Service sector has undergone three phases of reforms. The Public Service is the administrative machinery through which the government effects and delivers public services. These reforms have had far-reaching impacts on public service delivery in Uganda. Nonetheless, the common focus on service delivery improvement has not critically analysed these reforms and their impact on the same. There is therefore a need to understand the reforms, their implementation and impact on the Uganda Public Service. This article therefore brings out a comparative analysis of the different phases of the Uganda Public Service since independence, and analyses the reforms and resultant impact. Speciﬁcally, the status of the Uganda Public Service is identiﬁed, while critically reﬂecting on the administrative bureaucracies and the respective Public Service regulatory regimes. This analysis is based upon a critical review of the existing literature on Uganda’s administrative bureaucracies, with a focus on reforms in the Public Service. The article establishes that before the reforms, speciﬁcally during the period of autocratic and corrupt regimes, the Public Service remained highly centralized and politicized. Further, it was characterised by poor remuneration, rampant corruption, non-performance and very poor delivery of public services. In response to these inadequacies and shortcomings, the Civil Service Reform Programme (CSRP) was initiated in the 1900s. In its initial stages, the CSRP recorded considerable success. Nonetheless, the reforms stalled in the mid-1990s and, in some instances and areas the reform efforts reversed. This reversal led to the initiation of the third and current phase of reforms which are focusing on human resource policies, institutional environment and public management systems that facilitate national development, improved service delivery and poverty eradication. To date (2016), there are signiﬁcant achievements in terms of outputs. Nonetheless, it is difﬁcult to translate these achievements into positive outcomes for successful public service delivery.
Compliance with record-keeping regulatory standards in public procurement in Uganda: Performance challenges and strategic measures for improvement
(Uganda Management Institute, 2015-03) Alinda, Fred; Mugisa, Geoffrey
Record-keeping is widely underscored for its crucial role in enhancing transparency, accountability, fostering procurement audits, identifying performance gaps and ultimately improving the delivery of public services. In Uganda, record-keeping in public procurements is highly emphasized and institutionalized. The Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA) Act of 2003 and the Local Government Procurement and Disposal of Assets Regulations of 2006 deﬁne a regulatory framework for public procurements with the PPDA Authority providing regulatory oversight. The target is to realize 100 percent compliance with record-keeping standards. The accounting ofﬁcers and the PPDA Authority are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that this target is met. Capacity building has been instituted and continues to be implemented as a key strategic measure to enhance compliance. The Authority conducts periodic compliance assessments to ascertain compliance with the desired regulatory standards inclusive of record-keeping. Availability and completeness of records indicates transparency in public procurements and also determines performance on other indicators that detect adherence to procurement principles of accountability and value for money. Drawing from literature, this article presents an overview on the trend of compliance with recordkeeping standards, vis-a-vis the measures implemented to enhance compliance. From this, the authors establish a persistent and deteriorating state of non-compliance with record-keeping regulatory standards in public procurements over the 2009-2012 period. Non-compliance persists despite the remarkable efforts to build capacity for compliance in the Procurement and Disposing Entities (PDEs). It raises concern over the relevance and quality of training provided to stakeholders. Drawing insights from the Human Capital, Principal Agent and Institutional theories, the authors provide a theoretical perspective in an attempt to account for this persistent non-compliance. Based on the theoretical underpinnings, the study opens insight into critical factors which can be further investigated in an attempt to create a precise account of non-compliance with procurement regulations, particularly with regard to record-keeping standards that are worst affected.
Constraints in using mobile money services in Uganda
(Uganda Management Institute, 2017-05) Obicci, Peter Adoko
The purpose of this study is to examine constraints hindering the successful use of mobile money (MM) services in Uganda from the perspectives of the users and agents. The researcher used a cross sectional study design and emphasis was put on quantitative research approach. In the same vein, a questionnaire survey was administered to 98 respondents whose perceptions were analyzed using descriptive statistics especially the mean score and mean ranking together with independent t-test. Findings indicated that ‘poor network connectivity’, ‘lack of electronic cash ﬂoat, ‘not owning a mobile phone, ‘low electricity coverage for users’, and risk or fraud in MM transfer’, are the top ﬁve constraints in using MM services in Uganda. The study recommends that MM service providers need to critically look into these constraints as they expand and grow their businesses. More so, the study provides evidence concerning the difference in the opinions of two key players (i.e., the users and the agents) which can be used by policy makers to improve MM services in the country.
The controversies of social media surveillance: When privacy and exposure are at war
(Uganda Management Institute, 2016-11) Kasule, Hawa
Social media is characterized by a self-regulatory privacy policy regime that puts capital interest’s ﬁrst. Surveillance normally occurs in political and economic forms; though to a small extent social surveillance is also evident in social media. Little is known by Social Media users about social media surveillance, and surveillance technologies, yet such media is used for e-management. This article sought to establish the stages of surveillance, its technologies as well as its linkage to self-exposure and privacy by a qualitative and innovative research. In relation to exposure, it was discovered that surveillance creates an unbalanced relationship between the observers (such as social media service providers) and those being observed (social media service users). From a privacy point of view the study revealed that the anonymity enjoyed by the individual in small communities, is jeopardized by pervasive surveillance, especially via social media. It was concluded that surveillance over social media is a very controversial issue. The study recommended that the concept of surveillance and its transformation through the digital incarnation of the individual requires an examination with a greater scope and an interdisciplinary approach (which includes diverse disciplines of social sciences like sociology, political sciences, social psychology, anthropology and even history and philosophy) to be evaluated.
Corporal punishment and students’ discipline in Uganda’s Schools: A literature review
(Uganda Management Institute, 2014-03) Karyeija K., Gerald; Basheka C., Benon; Ndayondi, Isaiah
This paper examines the adoption of corporal punishment in managing student discipline in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools in Uganda. Corporal punishment as the intentional inﬂiction of physical pain has long been used as a method of changing behaviour. It includes caning, hitting, shaking or slapping a child either with a hand or an object. This article is based on review of literature. It discusses cultural beliefs, teachers’ personal life experiences, family programming (internalization) and wider fundamental problems in the education system like poor training of teachers as arguments for the use of corporal punishment. The article concludes that despite its use, corporal punishment is a violation of children’s human rights due to its negative consequences like physical injuries, death, school dropout, fear and psychological torture. Particular emphasis should therefore be put on formulation of appropriate policy to emphasize the use of positive discipline as a strategy for the elimination of corporal punishment in schools in Uganda.
Corporate governance and the enforcement of standards: An appraisal of standards organizations in Tanzania
(Uganda Management Institute, 2014-03) Babeiya, Edwin
This article debates the enforcement of quality standards within Tanzania’s corporate governance framework. The article probes into whether the continuing increase in the number of organizations responsible for monitoring and enforcing quality standards of consumable and non-consumable industrial products (also referred to in this article as standards organizations) has an impact on protecting the rights and welfare of stakeholders (consumers). Speciﬁcally, the article examines the extent to which these organizations have been effective in carrying out their prescribed functions. Using documentary review, the article concludes that Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) and Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) have not been effective in monitoring and controlling the enforcement of standards, a situation that puts consumers’ welfare and public health at stake. Such ineffectiveness is attributed to a number of factors such as lack of adequate ﬁnancial and human resources, weaknesses in the synergies among standards organizations, poor networking with other stakeholders and weak legal framework that deprives these organizations of some of the powers to make ﬁnal decisions. Finally, the article emphasizes that any successful attempt to effectively enforce standards in Tanzania has to address these challenges.
Democratic deﬁcits and public conﬁdence in public institutions in Uganda: Implications of accountability on public conﬁdence in the Uganda Local Government Institution
(Uganda Management Institute, 2014-09) Kiwanuka, Michael
There is a general belief by scholars and practitioners alike that the notable declining public conﬁdence in public institutions in developing countries like Uganda is a consequence of democratic deﬁcits in institutional governance. This belief is more so, because democratic deﬁcits like deﬁciencies in accountability systems, stiﬂes capacities of democratic systems to evolve and reform into effective and legitimate agents of citizens. Accountability is a fundamental virtue of good governance and an important cornerstone in democratic systems. The paper analyzes the impact of accountability on public conﬁdence within the context of Uganda’s local government Institution. The analysis of accountability practices and experiences suggests that public conﬁdence in the institution of local governments in Uganda is on the down ward trend. This is partly due to the inherent democratic deﬁcits with respect to accountability deﬁciencies in local government institutions. The paper concludes that: the widening gap between citizen preferences and services delivered; the big social service backlogs; the mockery of citizen participation; and high levels of corruption are already having a big toll on citizens’ trust and eroding public conﬁdence in the local government institution. The paper recommends that developing countries like Uganda should demonstrate commitment to social accountability by strengthening the citizen voice and support meaningful engagement of non-state actors alongside formal government systems.
Determinants of tax effort in developing countries: Empirical evidence from Uganda
(Uganda Management Institute, 2014-09) Agaba, Samuel Bakehena; Kaberuka, William
Tax effort is the exertion that a country puts into collecting revenue that is necessary to meets its expenditure demands for sustainable development. One of the reforms that the World Bank recommends to DCs aimed at augmenting their revenue is a tax reform. Towards this endeavour, Uganda has carried out a number of tax reforms; but its tax share to GDP has not only remained low and stagnant at about 12 per cent but has also not matched her expenditure demands. This has led to high ﬁscal deﬁcits which have persisted over the years. This study was carried out using time series data obtained from the World Bank’s Development Indicators 2010 CD-RM. A multivariate regression model was used in the analysis to identify the determinants of tax effort in Uganda. The ﬁndings of the study revealed that lagged tax effort measured by tax-GDP ratio, share of agriculture to GDP, GDP per capita, openness to trade and external debt stock signiﬁcantly affect tax effort. Increase in the other mentioned variables augurs well with tax effort in Uganda. However, services and manufacturing sectors’ share to GDP were found not to signiﬁcantly affect tax effort. The study recommends that if Uganda is to improve her tax effort to the levels of other Sub-Saharan African countries, she needs to invest in areas that would signiﬁcantly increase GDP per capita. Investment incentives should be provided to the agricultural sector with the view to commoditizing the sector and hence bringing it under the tax net. Uganda should also review the policies regarding the currently offered tax breaks and exemptions with a view to retaining only those that have a productive effect on the development of manufacturing and service sectors.
Drivers of recentralization in Uganda and effect on service delivery
(Uganda Management Institute, 2016-11) Lwanga, Martin M
Decentralization deﬁned as the transfer of authority from central to local governments to perform certain duties, is seen as one of the public sector reform strategies to increase service delivery. Uganda is one of the countries whose decentralization reform was labeled ‘exceptional’ among developing countries in terms of the scale and scope of the transfer of power and responsibilities to the local level. But starting in 2005, the Government of Uganda started rethinking the policy. Among others the ofﬁce of Chief Administrative Ofﬁce (CAO) was recentralized taking the responsibility of CAO appointments from District Service Commission) DSCs) to Public Service Commission (PSC). This has been followed with recentralization of Kampala City under the management of a Central government appointed Executive Director and certain aspects of the Health sector. What drives this more recent development of recentralization in Uganda? Is it an indication of failure of decentralization? Scholars have argued that drivers could range from electoral politics, ethnic politics, to the need for ﬁnancial accountability. This paper seeks to verify these drivers with evidence from Uganda. The paper reviews different government, public and academic literature as well as ﬁndings of other researches concerning the phenomena. Interviews were conducted with a number of key policy makers. Based on these sources the paper answers the following questions: what are the drivers of recentralization in Uganda? Further, to what extent does recentralization improve service delivery by increasing efﬁciency, participation, accountability and effectiveness? What are their prospects of continued recentralization in Uganda?
The effect of business regulatory standards on export trading by small enterprises: A comparative analysis of Africa and Uganda
(Uganda Management Institute, 2014-09) Mutunzi, Ahmed Kitunzi
This article investigates the relationship between regulatory standards affecting export trade and the proportion of exporting SMEs with a focus on Africa and especially Uganda. The study is principally a global comparative analysis of business regulations and exporting SMEs with a focus on Uganda and the rest of Africa and employs a triangulation of quantitative research methodologies. The study results reveal that the number of export documents, time (days) and cost of export trading in Uganda and other African countries are relatively deterrent to export trading by a substantial fraction of SMEs. Hence, it is recommendable that Uganda and the rest of Africa implement persistent, diligent, deliberate, and competitive deregulation of export trading by reducing the number of export documents, time (days) and cost of exporting so as to enable more of their SMEs to engage in export trading. Such reforms will lead to sustainable growth of SMEs and economies.

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