UCU Digital Institutional Repository(UCUDIR)
Welcome to the Uganda Christian University Digital Institutional Repositoy (UCUDIR). This is the University's official Institutional Repository. It aims to collect, preserve and showcase the intellectual output of staff and students of UCU. This growing collection of research includes peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, working papers, theses, and more.
- The Repository ingests documents, audio, video, datasets and their corresponding Dublin Core metadata
- The aim is to open up this content to local and global audiences, with have optimized well for Google Scholar so your items here shows up on Google Scholar searches
- we also issue permanent urls and trustworthy identifiers, including optional integrations with handle.net and DataCite DOI
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Communities in UCUDIR
Select a community to browse its collections.
- Items in this community present a concise summary of information that can help readers understand, and likely make decisions about, government policies.
- This is a collection of Masters and Doctoral theses and dissertations submitted in electronic format to the Uganda Christian University.
Recent Submissions
Communicative Accommodation and Perceived Cyberbullying Victimization on TikTok in Uganda
(Uganda Christian University, 2026-09-30) Prever Mukasa
This study analyzed how communicative accommodation strategies influence
perceived cyberbullying victimization among university students who create content
on TikTok in Uganda. Grounded in Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT), the
study examined convergence, divergence, overaccommodation, and
underaccommodation as predictors of perceived cyberbullying victimization, and
examined the moderating role of digital resilience. A quantitative, cross-sectional
design underpinned by the positivist paradigm was employed on a stratified random
sample of 372 undergraduate students aged 18–25 drawn from Makerere University (n
= 296) and Uganda Christian University Mukono (n = 76). Data was collected using a
structured, self-administered Likert-scale questionnaire. Overaccommodation was the
only strategy to significantly predict perceived cyberbullying victimization at both the
bivariate level (r = .219, p < .001) and in hierarchical regression after controlling for
demographics (β = .222, p < .001), with accommodation strategies collectively
explaining meaningful incremental variance (ΔR2 = .058, p < .001). Convergence,
divergence, and underaccommodation were non-significant predictors, challenging
the universality of CAT's social approval hypothesis in high-convergence-saturation
digital environments. Digital resilience significantly moderated the convergence–
victimization relationship (b = .171, p = .001) and showed a trend toward buffering
the overaccommodation–victimization relationship across resilience levels, though the
interaction did not reach significance. No significant differences were found by
gender, academic year, or posting frequency, indicating that victimization is driven
more by communicative behavior than by demographic characteristics. The study
v
extends CAT into a multimodal, algorithm-driven, performative social media context
and provides the first quantitative, CAT-informed evidence on communicative
predictors of cyberbullying victimization among university TikTok creators in Uganda.
The findings concluded that cyberbullying victimization is not merely a function of
who students are but of how they communicate, with communicative inauthenticity,
the defining feature of overaccommodation as the most significant predictor. The
findings suggest integrating communicative self-awareness into university digital
literacy curricula, developing digital resilience programmes for active content
creators, and advocating for platform moderation policies that reduce algorithmic
pressure toward inauthentic accommodation.
A simulation-based assessment of Community-Based Energy Trading for circular energy sharing in low-income communities
(Elsevier, 2026-02-11) Michael-Ahile, Terhemba; Samuels, Jason Avron; Booysen, Marthinus Johannes
The growing adoption of decentralised renewable energy, particularly solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, presents opportunities to advance low-carbon development and circular economy objectives. However, unequal policy frameworks, infrastructure availability, and socio-economic conditions continue to limit equitable outcomes, especially in under-resourced communities. This study presents a simulation-based proof-of-concept evaluation of a Community-Based Energy Trading (CBET) framework designed to operationalise energy circularity within low-income communities through local energy redistribution. The proposed CBET model centres on a public school equipped with solar PV generation acting as a single prosumer that redistributes surplus electricity to nearby households using rule-based energy allocation rather than optimisation-based control. Using empirical electricity demand data for one school and five households in Cape Town, South Africa, two system configurations are simulated: CBET without household battery storage and CBET with battery-enabled
households. Performance is evaluated in terms of local renewable energy utilisation, household electricity cost reductions, and peak-period grid demand. Results indicate that CBET increases local solar energy reuse efficiency to approximately 90% and reduces household reliance on grid electricity by up to 16% when battery storage is included. In addition, peak-hour demand is reduced by 13%, contributing to improved grid stability, energy equity, waste minimisation, and community-level resilience. These findings demonstrate
that meaningful techno-economic benefits can be achieved through simplified community-level energy sharing arrangements without complex market mechanisms. However, the results are contingent on the assumed demand profiles and the single case configuration analysed. The study positions CBET as a feasible proof-of-concept for community-scale circular energy sharing systems operating under local capacity and policy constraints in the Global South.
Energy management framework for low-income schools in developing regions
(Elsevier, 2025-10-10) Michael-Ahile, Terhemba; Samuels, Jason Avron; Booysen, Marthinus Johannes
This study presents a comprehensive framework designed to optimise energy management in low-income schools in developing regions, specifically aiming to address challenges such as limited resources, lack of technical skills, unreliable energy infrastructure, and low levels of energy literacy. Taking advantage of South Africa’s unique energy landscape, the framework integrates renewable energy solutions, low-cost efficiency measures, and sociotechnical approaches to enhance energy efficiency while promoting sustainability. By combining global best practices with localised socio-economic insights, the study develops a flexible and scalable energy management strategy. This framework prioritises data-driven methods, stakeholder collaboration, and incremental implementation, ensuring contextual adaptability. The proposed model highlights cost reduction, energy efficiency, energy reliability, and behavioural optimisation, offering actionable pathways to empower educational institutions while addressing systemic energy inefficiencies. The framework is grounded in a mixed methods approach and supported by empirical data from recent studies conducted in low-income South African schools, allowing schools to transition to sustainable energy practices, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and foster energy literacy among students and staff. This proposed framework can significantly contribute to lower energy costs, reduced carbon emissions, and increased awareness and knowledge of sustainable energy practices in educational settings in developing regions.
Exploring the role of retention strategies in shaping employee performance at Masindi municipality
(Uganda Christian University, 2026-08-04) Mukuru, Ronald
The study explored the impact of retention interventions on staff performance within Masindi Municipality. The study was guided by three objectives, that is, to investigate the most common retention interventions utilized, to establish their impact on productivity, and to establish their impact on job satisfaction. A qualitative study with phenomenological study design was utilized and information gathered through interviews of 20 participants. Data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis guided by NVivo software.
The study findings show that reward and compensation schemes, as symbolized by science versus non-science cadre salary differentials, have generated perceptions of unfairness and demotivation which in turn become translated into low productivity and low morale. Whether or not pension schemes exist, bureaucratic inefficiencies have maintained their short-term worth as a retention incentive beyond reach. There are few career advancement programs and short-term capacity-building training workshops but few to sustain long-term professional development. Canceling sponsorships for education, complemented by politically motivated promotions and nepotism, eroded workers' motivation and commitment.
Participative and transformational leadership style was seen to improve the satisfaction of employees, confidence, and morale by appreciating them and involving them in the decision-making process. Job stability as permanent and pensionable employment also provides job retention since it provides financial security and institutional commitment. Putting off confirmation of members of staff on permanent employment erases this stability.
The study concludes that fair remuneration, open career development policy, competent leadership, and ongoing professional development must be embraced to improve staff satisfaction and output. Compensation packages must be rebalanced to remove pay inequality, politicisation of promotion decriminalisation, and postgraduate sponsorship investment must be undertaken, the study advises. Creating a superior work culture and organisational trust is necessary in order to preserve staff performance and human resource retention.
Availability and accessibility of sexual reproductive health services for women refugees: a case of Kyangwali refugee settlement, Maratatu D zone
(Uganda Christian University, 2026-08-03) Inno, Daphine
This study evaluated the SRH Services Availability and Accessibility of women refugees in Kyangwali refugee settlement, Maratatu D Zone. The research design adopted was mixed-methods research which incorporated questionnaires, interviews, observation and a review of the secondary documents. Participants were selected using simple random and purposive sampling techniques and the data analyzed to identify the types of services available, level of access to services and barriers to service utilization.
The results revealed that there was availability of maternal health support and HIV testing services, which were generally acceptable to respondents. But there were still some services that were not available, such as psychological counselling, female condoms and contraceptive options. Long distance to health centres, transportation difficulties and language barriers were found to be significant barriers to access to sexual and reproductive health services.
The study findings indicate that SRH services are available in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, but there are gaps in ensuring equitable access to SRH services for refugee women. It suggests increasing outreach of contraceptive services, enhancing the availability of reproductive health commodities, increasing psychosocial support, and creating safe facilities, and tackling transport and economic challenges to increase access to quality sexual and reproductive health services.