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ItemColonial policy(Anti-Slavery and Aborigines Protection Society, 1946-10) Jones, A. Creech ; Richards, Audrey I.
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ItemLand tenure in Uganda: present day tendencies( 1953) Mukwaya, A. B.INTRODUCTION It is now over fifty years since a settlement of the land question in Buganda was made. There were two math re suits of this settlement. In the first place, the- political and usufructuary rights -of the chiefs were converted into a system of freehold tenure now known as the mailo system:1 and in the second place, and subsequently, the rights of the peasant holders living on these estates were defined by law. Both types of rights are thus preserved and protected by legal enactments. In the past fifty years, through the processes of adaptation and adoption, this whole system of land tenure has developed quite rapidly in relation to the- great economic and political changes that have taken place in the country. Some of these changes in the system of land tenure are discussed in the succeeding pages, and particularly the extent to which fragmentation of • holdings has taken place and the rules governing peasant holdings ha been defined. These changes are described against their historical background and in relation to the particular land laws that have been passed. The more important of these enactments are reviewed in the second chapter of this work.
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ItemIntegrating Women’s Reproductive Roles with Productive Activities in Commerce: The Case of Businesswomen in Kampala, Uganda(SAGE Publications (UK and US), 1999) Kwagala, BettyUganda has registered signi® cant improvement regarding economic growth and the raising of women’s status at the macro level. Commerce is one of the sectors that attracts women of varying social status. The paper is based on an exploratory and cross-sectional study that focused on Kampala businesswomen’s experiences in coping with productive and reproductive roles. Quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were utilised. The survey involved a total of 224 women. Results reveal an increasingly asymmetric gender division of roles, to women’s disadvantage, especially as their incomes increase. Women’s experiences in integrating reproductive roles and productive activities in commerce, which have a strong bearing on their economic performance, are discussed.
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ItemWomen's attitudes to condoms and female-controlled means of protection against HIV and STDs in South-Western Uganda.(Taylor and Francis, 1999) Hart, Graham J. ; Pool, Robert ; Green, Gillian ; Harrison, Susan ; Nyanzi, Stella ; Whitworth, James A. G.The consistent and correct use of the male condom makes it highly effective in both disease prevention and as a contraceptive method. However, it is also well recognized that its use is under men's control. Because of this vital limitation, there have been frequent calls for female-controlled methods of HIV prevention, particularly from women from sub-Saharan Africa. Here we report on data collected in focus-group discussions (FGDs) with women aged 17-54 in South-Western Uganda. A total of 138 women, from rural villages, urban family planning clinics and a truck-stop town, were recruited to participate in 18 FGDs on the male condom, the female condom and existing formulations of vaginal microbicidal products. Three themes emerged: (i) problems with men's control over the male condom, (ii) the importance of control over and secrecy about protective measures and (iii) sexual pleasure associated with different methods. We found that the female condom, while being perceived as an improvement over the male condom, was recognized as having limited value because of the need to agree its use prior to sex taking place. Other products were considered to be significantly better than the female condom; the sponge, in particular, was perceived as having advantages over every other product. Women like the fact that it could be inserted some time before, and left in place some time after, sexual intercourse, that it was effective for multiple instances of intercourse, and that men would be unaware that it was being employed. Female-controlled methods to prevent sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and to increase reproductive choice, hold the promise of ceding some control over sexual and reproductive health to women.
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ItemCatalyst, nature, and vitality of African Canadian feminism: a panorama of an emigre feminist(University of Toronto Press Incorporated, 1999) Musisi, Nakanyike B
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ItemMorality as identity: the missionary moral agenda in Buganda, 1877-1945(Wiley-Blackwell, 1999-02) Musisi, Nakanyike B.This article advances three arguments. First, that prior to European intrusion in the mid-1800s, “Buganda” and “Mugandaness” were continually contested ideologies whose meanings were not given but discursively constructed and reconstructed in conditions of historical specificity. Second, that “Baganda” as an identity, was first constructed in the early travellers’ journals. Later on missionaries and Buganda’s leading chiefs appropriated the construct “Buganda” and actively participated in its elaboration and refinement as it was later to be used and popularized in the twentieth century. Third, that Buganda identity was constructed through the active silencing of the disruptive relations of ethnicity, of gender, and of class. In the celebration of an ethnic identity, inequalities and oppression were glossed over. Out of a confrontation with the “other,” Buganda identity was carefully and powerfully articulated by the Christian middle-class men who, from 1900, dominated the newly created ruling council of Buganda, called the Lukiiko. These men claimed to speak for the Buganda “nation” and on behalf of others. Their search for a secure identity was built on their assertion of their superiority over the “decadent” subnationalities; over all non-royal females and over all others who were not Christians, male and middle class. In examining the historical dynamics of identity, it is important to look beyond the illusion of a Buganda “Christian nation” to investigate articulations and manipulations of class, gender, ethnicity, and nationality.
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ItemAre HIV unaware persons the hidden population at high risk of HIV infection or re-infection in Uganda( 1999-12-06) Kiirya, Stephen K.Introduction: There has been a prejudiced view that HIV infection creates a state of desperation and a feeling of revenge that latently drives persons with HIV/AIDS (PHAs) into risky sexual and reproductive behaviors. This study examined child bearing, new sexual partnerships, disclosure of HIV status prior to coitus, and negotiations on condom use among HIV infected, uninfected and unaware persons as the basis for ascertaining the group at high risk of HIV infection/re-infection. Methods: HIV infected (86 females and 58 males), HIV uninfected (25 females and 21 males) and HIV unaware (59 males and 40 females) persons were drawn from one parish of Kampala, Iganga, Soroti,Lira, Masaka, Mbarara and Kabale districts. A pre-tested questionnaire which yielded a content validity index (CVI) of .79 was used to measure child bearing, new sexual partnerships, disclosure of HIV status prior to coitus, negotiations on condom use for the three groups. Focus group discussions were also carried out with each group to establish the etiological basis of these behaviors. Results: HIV infected persons (86%) reported higher levels of child bearing compared to the uninfected (66%) and unaware (57%) persons. Of the HIV infected persons who learned of their HIV status through a test, about 61% went a head to bear children. Also, more HIV infected (44%) and uninfected persons (44%) tend to disclose to partners their HIV status prior to coitus than the HIV unaware persons (35%). However, HIV unaware and uninfected persons reported higher levels of initiation and coitus with new partners during the past year from the time this study was undertaken than the HIV infected persons. Also, HIV unaware (77%) and uninfected persons (77%) reported higher levels of negotiations on the form of coitus (condom use) than the HIV infected (69%). This is especially so because it is easier to declare the HIV status if the test results are negative than positive., Males specifically surfaced as the group more complacent to risky sexual and reproductive behaviors, implying that they are more likely to spread HIV than females. Conclusion: Childbearing and non-negotiation with partners on condom use turned out as the factors that increase HIV re-infection among PHAs. However, initiation of new sexual relationships and despondency about disclosing their HIV status to partners prior to coitus seem to be the critical risk factors for HIV transmission among the HIV unaware persons. HIV unaware persons feel that if they disclosed their sero-status their partners would be scared and possibly stop the relationship on the suspicion that they have HIV/AIDS. False confidence arising out of the cognition and imagination that the problem of HIV/AIDS is not in vicinity motivates HIV unaware persons to think positively about sexual situations that, in effect, increase the risk of HIV infection. While more research merits in this area, broaden advocacy for and the coverage of all HIV/AIDS preventive campaigns to not only target the HIV infected, but also uninfected and unaware persons.
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ItemMen's attitudes to condoms and female controlled means of protection against HIV and STDs in South-western Uganda.(Taylor and Francis, 2000) Pool, Robert ; Hart, Graham ; Green, Gillian ; Harrison, Susan ; Nyanzi, Stella ; Whitworth, JimmyThere is widespread demand for the development of female controlled methods of protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV. The success of such methods will not only depend on their acceptability to women but also to their male partners. This paper reports on men's attitudes to female controlled methods in south west Uganda. Data was gathered in individual interviews with 50 men and 7 focus group discussions with 42 men. Male attitudes to the male condom, the female condom and female controlled methods of protection generally were characterized by ambiguity and anxiety. They liked the male condom because it protects against infection and unwanted pregnancy, but were worried by rumours that it was unreliable. The central theme in the discussions was men's anxiety about retaining control over their female partners. The men wanted women to be protected (and therefore safe as potential partners) but they also wanted to remain in control, at least to some extent, of the means of protection. Once suitable female controlled methods have been identified, it will be necessary to use education and social marketing in such a way that men can be reassured of the positive benefits of these products to them, as well as to women.
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ItemSocializing influences and the value of sex: The experience of adolescent school girls in rural Masaka, Uganda.(Taylor and Francis, 2001) Kinsman, John ; Nyanzi, Stella ; Pool, RobertIn order to explore the socializing influences which have shaped rural adolescent schoolgirls' views and values about sex in a high HIV prevalence area of Uganda, detailed qualitative data was obtained over a one year period from 15 schoolgirls (aged 14-17), chosen for their willingness to participate actively in a series of role plays, focus group discussions (FGD) and one-to-one interviews. Findings suggest that the girls have been subjected to a wide range of influences, including parents, social functions, other young children, nature, their ssengas, peers, school, and various media, such as pornography. There was disagreement about the relative values of sex and virginity. Some were determined to retain their virginity, but the majority felt that sex benefits them socially and personally. Peer pressure was a major factor shaping many girls' opinions, while traditional influences are in decline. Because of the small sample size, care should be taken in generalizing from the findings. However, the data suggest that sex has a high value for at least a substantial minority of adolescent girls in rural Masaka, Uganda. Policy makers and health educators should therefore consider how best to devise safe sex messages that are both relevant and applicable to this especially vulnerable group.
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ItemFemale control of sexuality: illusion or reality? Use of vaginal products in South west Uganda.(Elsevier Science Ltd., 2001) Green, Gill ; Pool, Robert ; Harrison, Susan ; Hart, Graham J. ; Wilkinson, Joanie ; Nyanzi, Stella ; Whitworth, James A. G.This paper reports on a trial of vaginal products that were distributed and used by 131 women and 21 men in south west Uganda. It focuses specifically upon the issue of female control in heterosexual relationships and examines whether methods which are ostensibly under women’s control, will in practice give women greater control of their sexual health. Participants were invited to select two from a range of vaginal products that included the female condom, contraceptive sponge, film, tablets, foam and gel, and use each for five weeks and their favourite product for a further three months. They were interviewed up to seven times over a five-month period. Although the women perceived that a major advantage of the products (with the exception of the female condom) was that they could be used secretly, less than 40% were using the products without their partner’s knowledge after one week and this proportion declined over time with only 22% using the products secretly after ten weeks. In the main male partners were told as women felt it their duty to inform them. In general the women were very much more positive about the products than they were about the male condom, as were the men. A contributory factor to their popularity among women was the greater control they gave them. Even though, use of these products in practice often involved negotiation with male partners, the fact that use was contingent on women’s action was empowering and increased somewhat their ability to control their sexual health.
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ItemAttitudes to voluntary counselling and testing for HIV among pregnant women in rural South-west Uganda.(Taylor and Francis, 2001) Pool, Robert ; Nyanzi, Stella ; Whitworth, James A. G.This paper describes the results of a study exploring the attitudes of women attending maternity clinics to voluntary counselling and testing during pregnancy in rural areas in south-west Uganda. It was a qualitative study using focus group discussions (FGDs). Twenty-four FGDs were carried out with 208 women attending maternity clinics in three sites in rural south-west Uganda. The FGDs were all recorded and transcribed, and analysed using standard computer-based qualitative techniques. Almost all women were willing in principle to take an HIV test in the event of pregnancy, and to reveal their HIV status to maternity staff. They were anxious, however, about confidentiality, and there was a widespread fear that maternity staff might refuse to assist them when the time came to deliver if their status were known. This applied more to traditional birth attendants than to biomedical health staff. There were also rumours about medical staff intentionally killing HIV-positive patients in order to stem the spread of the epidemic. Women were concerned that if their husbands found out they were HIV-positive they would be blamed and separation or domestic violence might result. In conclusion: although VCT during pregnancy is acceptable in principle, much will need to be done to ensure confidentiality and allay women's fears of stigmatisation and discrimination during delivery. Community sensitisation will be necessary and male partners will have to be involved if interventions are to be acceptable.
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ItemThe negotiation of sexual relationships among pupils in South-western Uganda.(Taylor and Francis, 2001) Nyanzi, Stella ; Pool, Robert ; Kinsman, JohnThe objective of the study was to explore how school-going adolescents in south-western Uganda negotiate sexual relationships. Qualitative data were obtained from 15 boys and 15 girls (14-18 years old), during a series of role plays, focus group discussions and one-to-one interviews. A questionnaire was administered to 80 pupils (12-20 years old) from the same school. Most of the pupils were sexually active. Sexual relationships between boys and girls were mediated by peers. Boys initiated relationships. Exchange played an important role in the negotiation of sexual relationships. Money or gifts were given and received in exchange for sexual favours and to strengthen the relationship. To maximize gains, some adolescents had sexual relationships with adults. Sexual relationships were characterized by ambiguity. Love is intertwined with sexual desire, money and prestige. Girls have to be explicit enough to get a good deal; if they are too explicit they will be stigmatized as 'loose' but if they are not interested in money they may be suspected of wanting to spread HIV. Boys try to persuade girls that they have money, but do not want to emphasize this too much. In sexual negotiations a boy must persuade a girl that although he is modern and sophisticated (i.e. experienced) he does not chase after every girl; the girl does not want to come over as an unsophisticated virgin, but does not want to give the impression that she is loose either. There is a tension between the traditional ideal of female chastity and submissiveness and the modern image of sexual freedom. Multiple partnerships were highly valued as a sign of sophistication. Condoms were not considered important. Interventions aimed at reducing the spread of HIV do not seem to be having an effect on the behaviour of this group of adolescents. On the contrary, risky attitudes and behaviour are part of an adolescent ideal of modernity and sophistication. New approaches are needed to persuade this group of the need for change. Shifting the source of interventions from adults to the adolescents themselves, encouraging girls to try other means of earning money and debunking the idea that having many partners is sophisticated may be productive alternatives.
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ItemBreastfeeding practices and attitudes relevant to the vertical transmission of HIV in rural South-west Uganda.(Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2001) Pool, Robert ; Nyanzi, Stella ; Whitworth, James A. G.Breastfeeding has been associated with a doubling of the risk of HIV transmission. In developed countries, it is recommended that HIV-positive women do not breastfeed, but this is not a feasible option in most of Africa. It is therefore important to know the extent to which breastfeeding practices are amenable to change. To study this, we carried out 24 focus group discussions with 208 women attending maternity clinics in three rural sites in rural south-west Uganda. Breastfeeding starts from a few minutes to a few days after delivery; most women reported starting after 2 days. The main reason for delay is lack of milk or that the breasts are 'blocked'. Most women thought that this delay was good for the baby, or at least not harmful. Almost all women reported giving the child a soup made of boiled mushrooms before starting to breastfeed. Once they have started breastfeeding, various supplementary foods are gradually introduced at 4-6 months. Women thought that ideally breastfeeding should last for 2-3 years, but in practice most stopped after 18 months. The father and his female relatives generally decide when the child should be weaned. The women thought that commercial milk formula foods were good but could not use them because they are too expensive and anyway unavailable in rural areas. Most women were unaware that HIV could be passed to the child through breastfeeding. Various practices identified as potentially risky are common in this population. Artificial feeding is not a viable option in this area, and although women were prepared to make sacrifices to prevent vertical transmission of HIV, practices are deeply ingrained in traditional culture and will need to be addressed in future interventions. Male partners will also need to be involved.
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ItemSocio-Demographic Factors and HIV-Risk Sexual Behaviors among adolescents and young adults in Iganga district.(Union for African Population Studies (UAPS), 2003-02) Kiirya, Stephen K.This study explored HIV-risk sexual behaviors (early coital debut, coital contact with genital ulcers, coital contact with STD, coital contact with persons suspected to have HIV/AIDS or engage in prostitution, coital contact for monetary rewards, multiple partnerships, condom use, and premarital pregnancies/abortions) and their probable predictors among a sexually active population cohort in Iganga district. A sample of 1024 subjects was selected through multi-staged, systematic and purposive sampling processes. A pre-tested sexual behavior questionnaire for measuring HIV-risk sexual behaviors was administered to a sample of 622 adolescents (321 females and 301 males) and 402 young adults (194 females and 208 males). The questionnaire yielded content validity index of .85 at pre-testing. In order to complement data collected using the questionnaire, interview and focused group discussions were also done with teachers, service providers, parent/elders, religious leaders, cultural/clan leaders, community development officers, adolescent females and males, and young adult males and females. Altogether, eight group discussions and 11 in-depth interview sessions were conducted. Analysis was done using linear regression models, Pearson correlation test and t-test for independent groups together with analytical arrangement of qualitative subject matter. HIV-risk sexual behaviors are common and tend to vary with the sex, age, place of residence, level of education and marital status of respondents. In particular females, adolescents, rural, least educated and married respondents stand a significantly higher chance of experiencing many of these sexual behaviors. This is attributed to the fact that females grow fast and perceive males in the same age bracket immature while adolescents are often curious to know how it feels to venture sex. The large urethra and mucosal surface area of females also complicates early detection of sexually transmitted diseases, which reduces prospects of suspending coitus following infection. Additionally adolescents, rural residents as well as uneducated and married individuals rarely have access to HIV/AIDS preventive information, education and care. This constraint undermines ability to appreciate and avoid HIV-risk sexual behaviors. Other culture and gender-related factors such as early marriage of females and society ostracism of persons who delay or desist sex and those who use condoms also promote early coital debut, unprotected sex and remarriage after death of a spouse, which creates opportunities for coital contact with persons suspected to have HIV/AIDS. In conclusion sex, age, residence, level of education and marital status significantly predict HIV-risk sexual behaviours, and the females, adolescents, rural, least educated and married respondents are especially susceptible to these behaviours. Community and schoolbased HIV preventive education and counselling programs should be planned and implemented. These programs should tackle the specific HIV-risk behaviours identified among these vulnerable groups. New and ongoing AIDS programs should also include strategies, which cover males, young adults, urban residents, and educated and unmarried persons as it enhances their AIDS awareness and prevention ability. More research is still needed focusing on other factors not modelled for this study.
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ItemDevolution and outsourcing of municipal services: in Kampala City, Uganda: an early assessment(John Wiley and Sons, 2003-11-19) Golooba-Mutebi, FrederickThe late 1980s saw the beginning of wide-ranging economic and political reforms in Africa, prompted by both external and internal pressures. Demands for political reform pushed for democratisation, including decentralisation of power and resources to lower levels of government. Alongside pressures for democratisation were those for economic liberalisation, including the rolling back of the state characterised by, among other things, reducing its role in service provision. This article looks at aspects of political and economic liberalisation in Uganda, involving devolution and outsourcing of service provision in Kampala city. It focuses on the city’s experience with devolution and outsourcing of solid waste management. It shows that, pockets of resistance notwithstanding, the reforms enjoyed widespread popularity and led to many positive changes. In addition, it shows that they begot problems and encountered others that rendered the process of change more problematic than its advocates had anticipated. Its major conclusion is that while devolution and outsourcing are useful tools for improving service delivery, they cannot ensure long-term success in the absence of financial, technical and managerial capacity on the part of contractors and contracting authorities.
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ItemMobility, sexual networks and exchange among bodaboda men in Southwest Uganda.(Taylor and Francis, 2004) Nyanzi, Stella ; Nyanzi, Barbara ; Kalina, Bessie ; Pool, RobertIn order to examine the sexual behaviour of a highly mobile social group, qualitative data and quantitative data were elicited from 212 private motorbike taxi‐men, locally called bodabodamen, from two study sites in Masaka, Uganda. Selection criteria were availability and willingness to participate in the study. Research techniques employed were a questionnaire, focus group discussions, in‐depth interviews and case studies. Findings indicate that bodabodamen are a highly mobile group who engage in frequent seasonal rural‐urban migration. Consequent to this, bodabodamen have a wide network of both occasional and regular sexual partnerships. Both serial and concurrent multiple partnerships are with adults, youths, widows, students, sugar‐mummies, barmaids, commercial sex workers, tailors. Exchange plays a significant role in sexual negotiations but the act of giving to a sexual partner is ambivalent in its social interpretation. Since bodabodamen have regular access to cash, they have higher bargaining power for sex. Implications for HIV/AIDS prevention are discussed.
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ItemCulture and Gender-Related Factors Predicting HIV-Risk Sexual Behaviors(Centre for Basic Research (CBR), Uganda, 2004) Kiirya, Stephen K.The current study explored HIV-risk sexual behaviors (early coital debut, coital contact with genital ulcers, coital contact with STD, coital contact with persons suspected to have HIV/AIDS or engage in prostitution, coital contact for monetary rewards, multiple partnerships, condom use, and premarital pregnancies/abortions) as well as socio-demographic factors which may be predicting them among adolescents and young adults in Iganga district. Methods A sample of 1021 subjects was selected through multi-staged, systematic and purposive sampling processes. A pre-tested sexual behavior questionnaire (SBQ) for measuring HIV-risk sexual behaviors was administered to a sample of 620 adolescents (320 females and 300 males) and 401 young adults (193 females and 208 males). The SBQ yielded content validity index (CVI) of .85 at pre-testing. In order to complement data collected using the SBQ, interview and focused group discussions (FGDs) were also done with teachers, service providers, parent/elders, religious leaders, cultural/clan leaders, community development officers, adolescent females and males, and young adult males and females. Altogether, eight FGD and 11 in-depth interview sessions were conducted. Analysis was done using linear regression models, Pearson correlation test and t-test for independent groups together with analytical arrangement of qualitative subject matter. Results HIV-risk sexual behaviors vary with sex, age, residence, education and marital status of respondents, and the female, younger, rural, least educated and married respondents are the groups that exhibit significantly higher levels of most of the HIV-risk sexual behaviors investigated. This is associated with the fast growth of females and the strong perception that males in the same age bracket are immature. Also, younger individuals are often curious to know how it feels to venture sex. And like rural, uneducated and married individuals, they rarely have access to HIV/AIDS preventive information, education and care. This further undermines their ability to appreciate and avoid these HIV-risk sexual behaviors. Culture and gender-related factors such as cultural belief that abstinence leads to gradual loss of sexual potency, society ostracism of those who delay sex and child bearing, and low socioeconomic status of women also promote early coital debut, partner change, unprotected sex and coital contact was monetary rewards. Conclusion Sex, age, residence, level of education and marital status significantly predict early coital debut, partner change, unprotected sex and coital contact was monetary rewards. However, these modeled variables also interact with a range of gender, culture, biological, psychological and socioeconomic factors to influence these HIV-risk behaviors. In view of this understanding, programs that aim at uplifting the socioeconomic welfare of the females, adolescents, married and least educated together with those that tackle values associated with such behaviors merit consideration. More research is also needed to determine any links between other ecological factors (poverty, early maturation, being in the company of a sexually active friend and restrictive family conditions) and the various HIV risk sexual behaviors.
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ItemReassessing popular participation in Uganda(John Wiley and Sons, 2004-03-10) Golooba-Mutebi, FrederickThe 1980s saw the emergence of popular participation as a mechanism for promoting good governance in developing countries Good governance was seen as crucial to efforts to improve the welfare of poor people in countries where elites had hitherto benefited disproportionately from policies conceived at the top without reference to ordinary citizens at the bottom. Donor pressure helped accelerate the change. In Uganda these developments coincided with the rise to power of a government that sought to democratise the country’s politics. A major plank in the democratisation agenda was the establishment of a participatory system of local administration in which ordinary citizens, facilitated by local councils, would participate in public affairs and influence the way government functioned. These aspirations coincided with those of the donor community and enthusiasts of popular participation. This article is an account of the evolution of village councils and popular participation from 1986, when the National Resistance Movement came to power in Uganda, to 1996. It shows that while at the beginning the introduction of local councils seized the public’s imagination leading to high levels of participation, with time, public meetings as consultative fora succumbed to atrophy due to participation fatigue and unwarranted assumptions about the feasibility and utility of popular participation as an administrative and policy-making devise. It calls for political history and the socio-cultural context to be taken into account in efforts to promote participation.
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ItemWhen popular participation won't improve service provision : primary health care in Uganda(Wiley-Blackwell, 2005) Golooba-Mutebi, FrederickAdvocates of participatory approaches to service delivery see devolution as key to empowering people to take charge of their own affairs. Participation is portrayed as guaranteeing the delivery of services that are in line with user preferences. It is assumed that people are keen to participate in public affairs, that they possess the capacity to do so, and that all they need is opportunities. Using evidence from ethnographic research in Uganda, this article questions these views. It shows that, to succeed in the long term, devolution and participation must take place in the context of a strong state, able to ensure consistent regulation, and a well-informed public backed up by a participatory political culture
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ItemContemporary myths, sexuality misconceptions, information sources, and risk perceptions of Bodaboda men in Southwest Uganda.(Springer, 2005) Nyanzi, Stella ; Nyanzi, Barbara ; Kalina, BessieThis article reports findings from a study conducted among 212 private motorbike-taxi riders, locally called bodabodamen, from two study sites--a slum area and the urban center of Masaka town. Qualitative and quantitative methods were triangulated; a questionnaire, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, case studies, and interactive workshops were all used. There were high levels of awareness of HIV, much more than sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), because many participants had closely experienced HIV/AIDS. Knowledge about sexual health contained several misconceptions, misinformation, and myths rooted in both the historical and contemporary social cultural context. Due to high illiteracy levels, bodabodamen cannot access many standard health education materials issued by government and private health organizations through the print and electronic media, as well as those published in languages other than the local vernacular. These (and possibly other) disadvantaged groups remain at risk of HIV and STDs. Especial efforts need to be made to provide appropriate health education.