Regean Mugume’s research while affiliated with Makerere University and other places

Our study examines school institutional drivers of pupil retention schools in Uganda over the period 2008-2014. We use longitudinal data from a sample of 7824 government and privately-owned primary schools. Using the fixed effects regression model, we estimate the association between institutional factors and retention. Our study finds that only three in every ten (32%) pupils who enrolled in primary one complete primary seven. Regression results further suggest that school retention is associated with moderate and not necessarily small class sizes, which promote a conducive learning environment as well as group interactions among the learners. Additionally, retention is associated with boarding schools and government-owned schools compared to their private counterparts. These findings suggest the need for the government to strengthen the school inspection function, especially in rural-based government schools, and promote surveillance critical in addressing pupil dropouts. Furthermore, recruiting more and better-trained teachers while regulating high school fee policy is critical to providing a support system for pupils to complete the primary school cycle.

As coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) and other restrictions intensified, individuals, businesses and governments turned to mobile digital platforms to reduce the financial costs and mitigate the risk of spreading the virus within the population. Drawing on lessons from Kenya and Uganda, our study examines the drivers of digital financial inclusion as a pathway for financing post‐COVID‐19 recovery. We find that digital financial inclusion is higher in middle‐aged male digital users with more SIM cards registered in their names. Results also show that users who trust mobile money agents were likely to use more digital financial platforms than others. Based on these results, we recommend the need for government to strengthen the National Identification Systems and consumer protection policies to increase trust in digital financial services. Additionally, financial sector players such as mobile network operators and commercial banks need to innovate and roll out customized digital financial products for the marginalized/unbanked population such as women, the elderly and the youth.