Kabale University Digital Repository (KAB-DR)
KAB-DR preserves research output from the Kabale University community
Communities in KAB-DR
Select a community to browse its collections.
- The collections in this Community are comprised of Indigenous Knowledge emanating from communities in the neighborhoods of Kabale University. These are communities in the great Kigezi Region.
- This community holds students (Graduates) dissertation and Thesis, Staff field reports, Students (undergraduate) study reports
- The community includes research article publications in journals both local and international, conference papers in proceedings and reports, abstracts and reviews by Kabale University Staff and Students
Recent Submissions
Formality in students’ academic writing: implications from assignments written by kabale university postgraduate students.
(Kabale University, 2024) Nowe, Promise
This study investigated formality in students’ academic writing with particular attention to assignments written by Kabale University post graduate students. The specific objectives of the study were to: Identify the level of lexical formality in students’ academic writing, describe the quality of students’ academic writing in terms of lexical richness, and explore the quality of students’ academic texts in terms of syntactic formality. Halliday’s Register theory (1978), was the main theory used for this study, reinforced by Heylighen and Dewaele’s (1999) framework of features of formality as well as Chang and Swales (1999) features of informality. Qualitative methods were used through document review, and analyzed through content analysis specifically by categorization, frequency counts, interpretive frames, and the Type- Token Ratio (TTR) calculation. The results of the findings indicated that the post graduate student’s academic texts were found to be highly formal at lexical level with an F- Score at 71.9%., and the quality of postgraduate students’ academic writing in terms of lexical richness was relatively low, at 49.4%, The findings further showed that students’ academic writing was relatively formal syntactically, reflected in the high frequency rates of complexity, Nominalization, use of discourse markers, and average passiveness, among others. The study concluded that the students’ academic writing was generally formal and recommended formal training to university students for improvement of academic writing formality and reinforcement of the scholarly writing and publications course unit being taught one semester at the university. one of the course units taught at the university. For further studies, the study recommended a study on semantic, morphological, phonological and grammatical formality in both post and undergraduate. students’ academic writing.
Prevalence And Factors Associated With Stunting And Wasting Among Children Aged 6-59 Months In Rubanda District
(Kabale University, 2025-08-30) Ntabaare, Kwehangana Rubahika
Background: Undernutrition continues to be an underlying cause of under-five morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Rubanda District accounted for most cases of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) seen at Kabale Regional Referral Hospital (KRRH). We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with stunting and wasting among children 6 - 59 months in the district.
Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design and multistage cluster sampling, we selected 750 caregiver-child pairs on whom anthropometry was done and Z-scores determined. We subjected the caregivers to an interviewer administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done in STATA (version 17). Modified Poisson regression was used for bivariable and multivariable analysis for factors associated with stunting and logistic regression was used for wasting.
Results: The prevalence of stunting was 52.27% (95% CI 48.62 - 55.89) while that of wasting was 5.47% (95% CI 3.95 - 7.34). Factors independently associated with stunting were: Age 24 - 35 months (AOR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.08 - 1.49, p = 0.004), male sex (AOR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.01 - 1.31, p = 0.032), being delivered from a private health facility (AOR=0.74, 95% CI: 0.58 - 0.94, p = 0.015), and high wealth index (AOR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.72 - 0.99, p = 0.038). Factors independently associated with wasting were: Age 36 - 59 months (AOR=0.26, 95% CI: 0.09 - 0.69, p = 0.007), long distance (> 5Km) to the health facility (AOR=4.16, 95% CI: 1.97 - 8.78, p = 0.001), and recent fever (AOR=2.96, 95% CI: 1.42 - 6.11, p = 0.004).
Conclusion: We documented a very high prevalence of stunting and a medium prevalence of wasting in Rubanda District, Southwestern Uganda. Age 24 - 35 months and being male were predictors of stunting, while being delivered in a private health facility and high wealth index household were protective factors. Long distance to the health facility and recent fever were predictors of wasting, while the age group 36 - 59 months was protective.
Social assistance grant for the eldery (sage) and their well-being. A case study of Rubanda District, Uganda.
(Kabale University, 2025) Musiimenta, Dan
The study investigated the effectiveness of the Social Assistance Grant for the Elderly (SAGE) and its impact on well-being in Rubanda District, Uganda. Using a case study design, 50 respondents were purposively selected from a population of 16 key informants to provide in-depth qualitative insights into the SAGE program’s effectiveness. The key objectives were to assess the financial stability of older adults, explore the impact on their overall well-being, and examine how elderly beneficiaries utilize the financial support, particularly its effect on housing conditions. The findings reveal that SAGE positively impacts beneficiaries’ financial situation and well-being, with 60% strongly agreeing and 40% agreeing that it significantly improves financial stability. The grant has enhanced the ability of beneficiaries to meet basic needs like food and healthcare, contributing to greater happiness and life satisfaction. However, the study also identifies challenges, particularly in housing stability, with mixed responses regarding the program's effect on reducing homelessness. Notably, the demographic distribution shows a predominance of younger elderly individuals and a significant gender imbalance, with more women benefiting than men, who tend to die early. Recommendations include expanding the program to more districts and inquiring into the gender disparity, especially why men seem to die earlier. Recommendations include increasing the grant amount, improving housing support, addressing gender imbalances, enhancing program reach, and implementing regular monitoring and evaluation. The study concludes that while SAGE significantly improves the financial and overall well-being of elderly beneficiaries, further program enhancements are required to address their diverse needs comprehensively
Semantic categories of proper names in Runyankore/Rukiga and English: A Comparative study
(Kabale University, 2025) Katushabe, Racheal
The study focused on personal nomenclature in Banyankore/Bakiga and British societies. The major concern of the study was: to establish semantic similarities and differences between Runyankore/Rukiga and English personal names by categories, to establish the meaning of names in the Runyankore/Rukiga surname corpus, to examine the meaning of names in the British surname corpus, and to examine the factors that influence the creation of personal names among the Banyankore/Bakiga and the English. This study sought to cause an appreciation of locally birthed names and the traditional naming culture and the need for its maintenance. The research was conducted using a qualitative approach. The data was collected from both primary secondary sources. In the case of Runyankore and Rukiga names, the researcher used an interview guide and read the existing literature and manually analysed and interpreted the data got. The researcher collected one thousand names: 500 English anthroponyms and 500 Runyankore/Rukiga and anthroponyms and categorised them according to their meanings into seventeen (17) semantic groups. It was discovered that there are similarities and differences between Banyankore/Bakiga and English personal nomenclatures. The two societies share eleven (11) categories of names: anthroponyms related to place, occupation, description of physical and behavioral traits, affective features, war, insects, birds, animals, plants, ethnicity and theophoric content. The Banyankore/Bakiga, however, have six (6) categories that the English do not have: anthroponyms related to suffering, circumstances surrounding the child’s birth, death, optimism, wealth and birth order. The two societies have factors influencing the creation of these names and the name giver’s life experiences play a big role in the creation of a name.
Stakeholder Participation and the Effective Management of Urban Central Markets in Uganda: A Case of Kabale and Mbarara Central Markets
(Kabale University, 2025) Ninsiima, Naris
This study critically examined the extent and efficacy of stakeholder participation in the management of formal urban public markets in Uganda, with the objective of identifying strategies to enhance participatory governance for improved market administration. Despite the Government of Uganda’s ongoing investments in urban market infrastructure - aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 on sustainable cities and communities and Uganda’s Third National Development Plan (NDP III) priorities on urbanization - public markets have increasingly become sites of tension and conflict. These disputes stem largely from ineffective governance frameworks, insufficient stakeholder inclusion, and administrative deficiencies at both local government and vendor-group levels. Drawing upon Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation as a theoretical lens, this research interrogates the nature of vendor engagement in decision-making processes. The study was guided by four core objectives: (i) to identify major avenues for stakeholder engagement; (ii) to assess the level of participation in planning; (iii) to evaluate stakeholder involvement in policy implementation; and (iv) to analyse participation in management-level decision making. A pragmatic research paradigm informed the study’s mixed-methods design, integrating quantitative data from structured questionnaires administered to vendors (n=586) and qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with market authorities and vendor leaders (n=9). Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Ethical approval was secured from the Kabale University Research Ethics Committee and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. Key ethical principles - including informed consent, confidentiality, and data security - were rigorously observed. Findings reveal that stakeholder participation remains superficial and largely symbolic, characterised by tokenism rather than genuine empowerment. Vendors are seldom granted meaningful influence over policy formulation or management decisions, and existing consultative mechanisms - such as focus groups and workshops - are inconsistently applied and lack enforceability. Furthermore, the absence of capacitybuilding initiatives, particularly in financial literacy, governance, and leadership, significantly impairs vendors’ ability to engage effectively in market governance. In response, the study proposes a Stakeholder-Centred Governance Model, grounded in four foundational principles: capacity building, integrated policy frameworks, comprehensive communication strategies, and feedback mechanisms. The model seeks to institutionalise participatory structures that reinforce transparency, accountability, and equity in urban market management. This research contributes substantively to the discourse on participatory urban governance by offering empirically grounded insights and actionable frameworks for policymakers, scholars, and development practitioners seeking to foster inclusive, efficient, and sustainable public market systems in Sub-Saharan African cities.