The Makerere University vice chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, described the female performance as “steady progress”. YUDAYA NANGONZI brings you all the 40 female PhD graduates and their theses.
Martina Kyallo – Identification and Characterization of Cassava Mosaic Begomovirus-like viruses Associated with Non Cassava Plants in Kenya
Her study was on sustainable management of cassava mosaic disease by determining the role non-cassave hosts of Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) like viruses and their associated viruses play in the epidemiology of CMD in Kenya.
The study identified M. Lutea as a potential alternative host for East African Cassava Mosaic Virus in Uganda revealing the adaptive potential for the virus and expanding our current knowledge of the host range of CMD in Kenya.
Robinah Nakabo Seruga – Followership and Women’s Empowerment for Sustainable Development: A Case of the Women in the National Association of Women’s Organisations in Uganda
After in-depth interviews, findings showed that followership was generally a taken-for-granted concept.
Respondents perceived followership as a cooperative venture, retrospection on past experiences, as a detour, seeking to stabilise or destabilise the status quo, identifying preferred values, and mentorship. However, women’s followership of NAWOU was found to be pragmatic and conscious with the implication of possible empowerment; intervened by education, family ties, and financial situations.
The conclusion was, that depending on personal characteristics, perception of empowerment, and the typology of followership adopted, women could gain empowerment for sustainable development.
Rose Nakasi – Automated Diagnosis of Malaria in Thick Blood Smear Films: Deep Neural Network Approach
She investigated how deep learning algorithms can be used for the automated detection of malaria and its parasitemia determination in microscopic thick blood smear images.
Using an experimental design, the study revealed that by exploiting recent technological advances in 3D printing and deep learning to produce effective hardware and software respectively, a functioning point-of-care diagnosis system for malaria on this principle, capable of running on multiple microscopes and phone combinations can be produced.
Jessica Kabasiita – Antecedents of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour among Academic Staff in Universities in Uganda
She investigated antecedents of Organizational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) among academic staff in universities in Uganda using Podsakoff et al.’s (2000) model of OCB.
The study findings revealed that; employee characteristics (job satisfaction & self-efficacy); task characteristics (skill variety & task significance); organizational characteristics (organizational structure, advisory support, & group cohesiveness) and leadership behaviours (transformational behaviours) were significant antecedents of OCB.
Marriette Katarahweire Atuhuriire – Form-based Data Security in Mobile Health Data Collection Systems in Low-Resource Settings
She studied security challenges in mobile health data collection systems deployed in low-resource settings. It was found out that data in MHDCS are diverse and have varying security requirements depending on their sensitivity levels.
A data sensitivity model was developed that takes into consideration both static and dynamic parameters for data sensitivity and categorizes data into different sensitivity levels using parameters defined by the stakeholders.
Olivia Nabawanda – Flattened partitions: Pattern Avoidance and Behavior of Permutation Statistics
She studied a sorting procedure (run-sort function) on permutations, where runs are rearranged in lexicographic order.
The aim of the study was to investigate the behavior of the run-sort function with different permutation statistics namely runs, descents, peak values, and left-right minima. She used Mathematica, a computation/mathematical software to generate the necessary data, which in turn she used in combination with bijective proofs and generating functions as the main tools.
Caroline Adoch – Access to Gender Justice in Uganda: A Feminist Analysis of the Experiences of Rape Victims in the Reporting and Prosecution Processes
She undertook a feminist analysis of how victims of rape experience the criminal justice system as they report and prosecute cases and the impact that this has on their access to justice.
The study found that victims of rape who report and prosecute cases do so in a patriarchal colonial criminal justice system that is massively rigged against them. The study recommended recourse to restorative justice which can provide comprehensive justice and accountability for rape survivors.
Ritah Bakesiima – Modern contraceptive use among female refugee adolescents in northern Uganda: prevalence, effect of peer counselling, adherence and experiences
She found that the use of modern contraceptives among sexually active adolescents was very low with less than 10% using a method, and yet they wanted to delay childbirth. This highlights a high unmet need for contraceptives in this population.
The commonest reasons for non-acceptance of a method were partner prohibition and fear of side effects. She recommended that refugee adolescents, together with their partners, are further sensitized to the dangers of teenage pregnancy, and the benefits of contraception in preventing teenage pregnancy and associated complications.
Catherine Mulinde – Climate Adaptation and Crop Productivity in Coffee-Based Farming Systems of Uganda
She focused on determining the most sustainable climate adaptation practices that are likely to increase current and future crop productivity, and mitigate climate vulnerabilities in Arabica and Robusta coffee-based farming systems of Uganda by 2040.
Coffee and banana were revealed as more vulnerable to climate change than maize and beans in eastern, central and western Uganda.
The study recommended the promotion of these adaptation practices with an agile extension service considering the diverse adaptation needs of coffee-farmers rather than ‘one-size-fit-all’ adaptation strategies.
Deborah Nakalyowa – Intimate Partner Violence and Masculinities: Experiences of Baganda male “survivors” in Masaka District, Uganda
Her findings revealed that survivors were subjected to psychological/emotional violence, in addition to physical aggression and sexual abuse in the contexts of Intimate Terrorism, Situational Couple Violence and Mutual Violent Control.
While the importance of maintaining an appropriate sense of masculinity underpinned their narratives, the male victims described feeling shame and embarrassment for not having met the dominant cultural expectations surrounding masculinity, consequently affecting their emotional and physical well-being.
Therefore, there is need for more research and advocacy to enhance recognition and public awareness about the plight of male victims.
Ruth Mukhongo – Abbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for Enhanced Nutrient and Mositure Utilization in Sweet Potato Production
She investigated the composition and spore abundance of Abbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in sweet potatoes producing regions in Uganda for local inoculum production.
Further, the study sought to determine the efficacy of the native AMF and phosphorus on growth and yield of sweet potatoes. In the findings, the assessment of the composition and spore abundance of AMF in sweet potatoes zones yielded a similarity in the AMF communities with Glomus and Acaulospora species accounting for 38% and 20% respectively.
Ruth Mbabazi Mutebi – Designing Persuasive Technologies For Societal Benefit: A Persuasive Technology For Fighting Electricity Theft In Kampala, Uganda
She studied persuasive technology design frameworks, with the aim of developing a technology that could aid in reducing electricity theft in Kampala Uganda.
After conducting a survey, she found that electricity consumers are not willing to fight electricity theft, despite its’ negative impact on them. She modified Fogg’s Eight Step Process using design theory resulting in the Design Theory-Fogg’s Eight Step Process (DT-FESP).
This was used to develop a persuasive mobile application to increase willingness to participate in fighting electricity theft called, “Faayo”. Evaluation of “Faayo” showed that it had the potential to persuade electricity consumers.
Eron Joan Nankya Mutyoba – Hepatitis B. Among Ugandan pregnant women: Studies on Epidemiology, knowledge, perceptions and behavioral intentions
The study was conducted among pregnant women attending routine Antenatal Care in public health facilities in Kampala, Wakiso, and Arua districts. In the results, the overall prevalence of Hepatitis B. Virus infection was 6.1%. Pregnant women in Uganda have a high burden of the virus with significant regional differences, low knowledge, and inaccurate perceptions of the virus.
Marjorie Niyitegeka Kyomuhendo – Family Planning Communication in Uganda: An Interrogation of Media Reporting, Communication Campaigns and Audience Perspectives
The study was motivated by the constant high awareness and low use of contraceptives by most women and men of reproductive age in Uganda.
She thus examined the framing of family planning information in selected media stories and health communication campaigns. Her study found deficiencies in family planning communication occasioned by shallow media reporting and information transmission approaches that disregarded the audience’s information needs and contextual factors.
She recommended that the Ministry of Health and partners implement a harmonised communication strategy that is audience-centered and responsive to the emerging information needs and socio-ecological contexts of particular audience segments.
Victoria Kakooza – Higher Education, Economic growth and Labour market in Uganda (1985-2017)
She investigated the causal nexuses between Higher Education and Economic growth: as well as Higher Education and the Labour market in Uganda. Using econometric models, the study revealed that there exists a positive impact of higher education on: growth only in the long run; on labour productivity in both short and long run; while on Unemployment only in the short run.
Statistical evidence of the impact of Male, Science, and Undergraduates were found to be higher on the same variables than their counterparts the females, Arts, and Postgraduates.
Anne Kapaata Andama – Genotypic And Phenotypic Characterization Of Hiv-1 Transmitted/Founder Viruses And Their Effect On Cytokine Profiles And Disease Progression Among Acutely Infected Ugandans
Her subtype analysis of inferred transmitted/founder viruses showed a high transmission rate of inter-subtype recombinants (69%) involving mainly A1/D, while pure subtype D variants accounted for one- third of infections (31%).
The signal peptide-C1 region and gp41 transmembrane domain were hotspots for A1/D recombination events. She documented diversity in the functional protein domains across the Gag-Pol region of the HIV virus and identified differences in the Gag-p6 domain that were frequently associated with higher in vitro replication.
Monica Namayanja – Trypanosoma brucei brucei – host interactions associated with biological barrier traversal
She employed a mouse model to seek whether crossing of the blood-brain barrier commences at the same time for different strains.
Findings showed that different strains cross the blood brain barrier at different time points, that crossing of different biological barriers is different, and modification of the host plasma membrane was observed.
This thesis, for first time demonstrated the modification of the host plasma membrane by T. b. brucei and pointed to factors that can be exploited for the development of new interventions against African Trypanosomiasis.
Lois Bayigga – Role of Vaginal Microbiome in Host Susceptibility of HIV Infection in Pregnant Ugandan Women: Inflammatory Response and Epithelial Barrier Integrity
She investigated the virginal microbial diversity and its immune-modulatory effects on host susceptibility to HIV among pregnant women in Uganda. In the results, the vaginal microbiome of pregnant women in the cross-sectional study was categorized into four distinct cervicotypes.
In conclusion, African women had a more diverse vaginal microbiome relative to women in America and Europe as observed in the literature.
Dinah Amongin – Understanding Trends and Trajectories of Repeat Adolescent Birth in Uganda
She studied the magnitude and explanation for repeat adolescent birth (a second or higher-order live birth before 20 years, following a first birth before 18 years) and its later life consequences in Uganda.
Her results revealed high repeat adolescent births (over one in two) with a slight decline in the 30 years of observation (1988/89-2016) although more women over the years wanted to have this repeat birth later. She said interventions should primarily focus on: improving school retention/continuation, strengthening family planning services, and preventing early marriage.
More female PhD graduates and their theses
Gloria Odei Obeng-Amoako Adobea – Retrospective analysis of concurrently wasted and stunted children six to 59 months in the outpatient therapeutic feeding programme in Karamoja: burden, characteristics, detection, response to treatment and outcomes
She found that 5% of children under five years in Karamoja were wasted and stunted concurrently. Concurrent wasting and stunting were common among children younger than three years and particularly males.
Deve Rhona Mijumbi – Rapid Response Services to Support Policymaking in Uganda
She evaluated the rapid response mechanisms aimed at providing evidence for policymaking in Uganda, including their feasibility and establishment, their uptake amongst the users along with these users’ experiences with them.
Gertrude Namazzi – Burden and risk factors for child developmental disability among infants in Busoga region, in Uganda
Her study revealed a high burden of child developmental disability at population level and among preterm babies.
Mary Buttibwa – Utilizing heated pollen and androgenesis pathways for the production of haploids in cassava
She investigated how heat-treatment of pollen facilitates production of haploids in cassava.
Annet Kyomuhangi – Reduced Modules Relative to Functors
She focused on the description of reduced modules and their dual-using functors. She introduced and studied the properties of a functor that measures how far a module defined over a commutative ring is from being reduced.
Rebecca Nalule Muhumuza – Hierarchical Models and Spatio-Temporal Processes In Data Analysis
She studied Hierarchical Models and Spatio-Temporal Processes in Data- Analysis with the aim of analyzing data which possesses both temporal and spatial dependence.
Mary Nanfuka – The use of Splines for solving ill-posed problems, with application to the Cauchy problems for the Heat and Helmholtz equations
She developed a regularization procedure based on splines. The procedure was used to solve the Cauchy problems for the heat and Helmholtz equations, which are ill-posed problems.
Dorcas Elizabeth Loga – Enhancing Group Sustainability and Innovativeness of Youth in Agriculture; a Comparative Study of Government and Non-government Interventions in Mid-western Uganda
She studied how government and Non-Government agencies support youth groups in mid-western Uganda to engage in agriculture. The focus was on discovering the conceptual underpinnings that inform and shape the nature of support, enhancing the sustainability of youth groups, and youth innovativeness.
Alexander Jane Ruley – Bioremediation of Petroleum Contaminated Soils using Native plants and their Rhizobacteria in the Sudd regions of South Sudan
Her study was to enhance bioremediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon-(PHC) Contaminated soils for increased agricultural productivity of the Sudd region of South Sudan.
Agatha Syofuna – Prevalence and impact of stem canker diseases on Eucalyptus Grandis and selected Hybrid clones in Uganda
She studied the prevalence and impact of stem canker diseases on Eucalyptus grandis and selected Hybrid clones in Uganda.
Ruth Atuhaire – Disparities in Utilization of Maternal Health Care Services in Uganda
She focused on the interrelationships and regional differences in early antenatal care, facility-based delivery, and early postnatal care.
Olivia Nankinga – Child Care Arrangements and Wellbeing of Children of Employed Women in Central Uganda
Her study focused on the physical, social and emotional domains of wellbeing. Results show better well-being outcomes among children looked after in formal childcare facilities.
Ruth Mbabazi Mutebi – Designing Persuasive Technologies For Societal Benefit: A Persuasive Technology For Fighting Electricity Theft In Kampala, Uganda
She studied persuasive technology design frameworks, with the aim of developing a technology that could aid in reducing electricity theft in Kampala Uganda.
Sylvia Namujuzi – Management of Agriculture Archives in National Agricultural Research Institutes in Uganda
She studied gaps in the management of agriculture archives in National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) particularly, documentation, maintenance, and access.
Aisha Nakitto Musaazi Sebunya – Solanum anguivi Lam. fruits’ nutritional quality and potential effect on type 2 diabetes mellitus
She investigated the morphological characteristics, bioactive compound contents (BCC) and antioxidant activity (AA) of fourteen accessions of Solanum anguivi Lam (bitterberries).
Sarah Nakisanze – Social Sustainability and The Ugandan Haute Couture Visual Aesthetic: Articulating The Contemporary Value of Past Tradition
She interrogated haute couture artefacts that exhibit Uganda’s traditional cultural heritage fused with aspects of contemporary dress to produce haute couture as a visual language representing social sustainability.
Anne Ampaire – Career Stereotypes and Aspiration as Predictors of Students’ Independence in Career Choice at Education Transitional Levels in Uganda
She examined the extent to which career stereotypes and aspirations predict students’ career choice at education transitional levels in Uganda.
Stella Antwiwaa – The Representation of Women in Selected Plays of Euripides and Selected Ghanaian Playwrights
She employed feminist and postcolonial theories to interrogate the representation of women in selected classical Euripidean plays and selected Ghanaian playwrights to examine the ‘universalist’ view that the Classics are models for others to learn from.
Perpetua Arinaitwe – Kiswahili at Crossroads: Cultural Politics and Language Policy in Uganda
She studied historical narratives of different language policies and factors that impacted Kiswahili growth across the different historical periods; the pre-colonial period (1840-1894); the colonial period (1894-1962); and the post-colonial period (1962-2019).
Stedia Asiimwe – Female survivors’ Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and access to justice in Uganda
She investigated female survivors’ experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) and access to justice in Uganda, with a focus on relationships involving male police officers in Jinja police barracks, Eastern Uganda.
Donnah Atwagala – A Comparative Analysis of Land ownership and Land conflicts in post-conflict areas of Luwero and Amuru Districts, Uganda: A Gender Perspective
She analysed the effects of landownership and land conflicts on gender perspectives in post-conflict areas of Luwero and Amuru Districts in Uganda.
Constance Mudondo – Land Conflicts and Livelihoods of People Utilising Namatala Wetland in Eastern Uganda
She examined the conflict dimensions and drivers, land use, and conflict management mechanisms.
Joyce Nansamba – Why They Stay: A socio-cultural Reconstruction of Academics’ Retention in Uganda’s Public Universities
She explained why academics stay working in Uganda’s public universities despite unappealing working conditions.
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