Background More than half of pregnancies in Uganda are unintended, and nearly a third of these end in abortion. However, little research has focused on women living with HIV’s subjective experiences following induced abortion. We explored how women living with HIV subjectively experience induced abortions in health facilities in Lira District, Uganda. Materials and Methods This was a descriptive-phenomenological study between October and November 2022. The study was conducted among women of reproductive age (15–49 years) who were HIV positive and had undergone induced abortion following an unintended pregnancy. Purposive sampling was used to sample 30 participants who could speak to the research aims and have experience with the phenomenon under scrutiny. The principle of information power was used to estimate the sample size. We conducted face-to-face, in-depth interviews to collect data. Data were presented as direct quotes while providing a contextual understanding of the lived experiences of the study participants. Results The results showed that the major causes of induced abortion were financial constraints, concern for the unborn babies, unplanned pregnancy, and complex relationships. Regarding induced abortion-related experiences, three themes emerged: loss of family support, internalized and perceived stigma, and feelings of guilt and regret. Conclusion This study highlights the lived experiences of women living with HIV following an induced abortion. The study shows that women living with HIV had induced abortions due to numerous reasons, including financial concerns, complicated relationships, and a fear of infecting their unborn babies. However, after induced abortion, the women living with HIV faced several challenges like loss of family support, stigma, and feelings of guilt and regret. Based on HIV-infected women who underwent induced abortion and an unexpected pregnancy, they may need mental health services to reduce the stigma associated with induced abortion.

Purpose: Regarding the efficacy of e-governance in a developmental state, the central demand is whether the policy and practice of e-governance has, as espoused and executed, been effective in Uganda? In a bid to address this touchy demand, it would at the outset be indispensable to develop some cognizance of the anatomy and challenges hindering its efficacy in developmental governance. E-governance policy, as a universal idea of modern governments encapsulate a system by facilitating the numerous functions and activities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies. This article wishes to evaluate a selection of functions, in the public sector, that encountered a digital migration to e-governance in terms of their effectiveness as developmental state functions. Methodology: This study was entirely based on a review of literature on e-governance covering specific aspects of policy and practice in Uganda, the region and other places outside the continent. Findings and unique contribution to theory, policy and practice: This study offers the policy context of e-governance along with debates on the effectiveness of selected functions in a developmental state. The article centres on the efficacy of e-governance operation within a rather multifaceted environment. Consequently, the authors suggest that research on e-governance can be embraced as a means, by government, to improve both the policy and practices at both central government and local government levels.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of the prevalence of workplace bullying on employee productivity of CSOs in Lira City by focussing on three aspects, viz. workplace bullying and employee attendance, workplace bullying and employee efficiency, and workplace bullying and teamwork. Methodology: This study used descriptive case study and correlational designs. The study employed a mixed methods approach, involving the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Primary data from the field was collected by the researcher using research tools. Primary data were obtained first-hand from the target respondents defined by seeking their knowledge, experiences and/or opinions about the impact of workplace bullying on employees’ productivity. External validity which refers to the extent to which the findings of a particular can have credibility and generalizability across populations, contexts and time, the researcher triangulated using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Findings: Results that workplace bullying is significantly prevalent among the institutions investigated (Mean = 3.614; std. = 1.02) and from the highest extreme, the study shows that superiors maliciously discount the achievements of the subordinates (mean = 3.766; std. = 1.042). The statistics suggest that a variation in workplace bullying is associated to a weak variation in workers’ absenteeism. The significant value shows that the correlation is significant and that workplace bullying and employee absenteeism are linearly related. Also, the results show that bullying contributes 11% (R Square = .101) of the variations in employee productivity however when treated in isolation, the effect of workplace bullying is not adequate to explain the level of absenteeism among the selected institutions. So a variation in bullying practices is associated to a variation in slowdown of work even if is not very significant. This can be attributed to the fact that slowdown does not mean complete withdrawal of labour like absenteeism, and therefore its ramifications on productivity is not severe. Conclusion and recommendations: From the study, it was inferred workplace bullying negatively affect productivity in international non-governmental organizations due to the fact that bullied employees continuously complain of depression and mental illness which put them in the maze of absenting from work. Even when they keep coming for work, bullied employees complain of nervous breakdown and feign sickness just to escape the hostile work environment. Hence, the need to create awareness about what bullying is and how it can be prevented, as a starting point for creating conducive working environments, and organisational managers should not take workplace bullying lightly but should take it as something costly for organizations and therefore should be prevented or redressed by putting in place anti-bullying policies and measures. Unique contribution to policy and or practice: This study provides additional evidence to the Lira context as well as helping to widen the methodology of measuring this relationship between workplace bullying and worker productivity.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to discuss the quality of local council elections by exploring factors that influence vote buying and vote selling during electoral seasons in Uganda. Methodology: A cross-sectional study aimed at promoting free, fair and credible local council elections in Hoima city. The study was conducted in one city ward that is part of Hoima City Cohort Study (HCCS). The HCCS is a population-based cohort that was identified for purposes of this study. A total of 28 registered voters, resident in four study areas were enrolled into the study. Data were collected on socio-econ-political related characteristics. A regression model was used to generate voting frequency as a measure of association for factors that were associated with voter bribery. Findings: Results suggest that voter bribery was high; higher in men than in women. Less than half had participated in more than two previous local council elections while slightly more than half were taking part in the second election. After adjusting for potential and suspected confounder, the factors that were negatively associated with voter bribery were: greed, poverty, and expectations; political party/candidate influence and lack of self-control were positively associated with voter bribery. Since political party/candidate influence and lack of self-control were positively associated with voter bribery in the area of study, targeting those having exorbitant resources to tempt voters may help reduce voter bribery in this area. Unique Contribution to Policy and Practice: The results of this study may be useful to policy and practice since they can facilitate managers of electoral management bodies as well as political parties to evolve frameworks that can facilitate credible electoral processes.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to investigate the success of one LED intervention – the youth livelihood program from obtainable literature. Methodology: This study adopted a desk review method using secondary data from obtainable policy, theoretical and empirical literature. Findings: Results suggest a recurrent problem in the selection of beneficiaries, inept business management skills of the youth selected and/or administrative incompetence of fund administrators. Consequently, the need to refocus the current training on agricultural value addition training with a view of meeting the credit value criteria of Commercial Banks and relevant agencies tasked with disbursement of Youth Entrepreneurship Funds is key. Recommendations: It is encouraged that training of youth in business development, scaling, marketing, and management be integrated into the BTVET curriculum and supported by mentorship programs upon completion of their formal training. Also, mentorships and business incubators and/or hubs need to be set up and to be accessed by the youth themselves country wide. Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: This analysis contributes to the LED policy and YLP practice seeing that it targets household level income generation, creation of prosperity and enhanced sources of revenue, as well as giving support to the active poor to progress basing on the available means.