Muni Repository (MR)
This repository contains open access publications of Muni University Library.
Objectives:
- To digitally collect, preserve and provide electronic access to scholarly works and research output of Muni University.
- Increase the visibility and impact of our research, making it easy for researchers, students, policymakers and journalists to reference, replicate, and re-use the work.
- Issue permanent, unique and trustworthy identifiers when creating URLs to access the resource without concern that the location of the resource may change.
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- Contact the library through email: libsupport@muni.ac.ug
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Recent Submissions
From belief to institution: The Embedded functions of witchcraft in traditional Lango society, northern Uganda
(East African Nature and Science Organization, 2026-05-06) Agea, Jacob Godfrey
Witchcraft has long been portrayed in African contexts as a source of fear, violence, and irrationality, particularly within colonial and contemporary human rights discourses. However, such representations often obscure their embeddedness within coherent socio-cultural, economic and political systems. This study examines the role of witchcraft in traditional Lango society in Northern Uganda, arguing that beyond its negative connotations, witchcraft historically functioned as a multi-dimensional social institution. Drawing on qualitative documentary analysis and culturally grounded ethnographic narratives, the study applies functionalist and interpretive frameworks to explore how witchcraft beliefs shaped social regulation, conflict mediation, moral enforcement, and psychological coping. The findings demonstrate that witchcraft operated as an informal governance mechanism that reinforced communal norms, mediated tensions, and provided culturally meaningful explanations for misfortune. Ethnographic vignettes from Lango communities illustrate how witchcraft discourse functioned as a symbolic language through which issues of inequality, power, and social responsibility were and are still negotiated. At the same time, the study critically acknowledges the ethical challenges associated with witchcraft accusations, particularly their gendered dimensions and potential for harm. The paper contributes to debates on indigenous knowledge systems by reframing witchcraft as a functional and adaptive institution rather than a purely pathological belief. It calls for context-sensitive approaches that balance cultural understanding with contemporary human rights considerations and or justice systems.
Framing the “Other” : Literary and media representations of pastoral conflict in Kenya and Uganda
(Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang, 2026-04-30) Ocan, Johnson; Kyarimpa, Joan; Imokola, John Baptist; Eton, Marus
Pastoral conflicts in East Africa are frequently narrated through discourses that construct pastoral communities as cultural “others,” shaping public perceptions and policy responses. Although scholarship has examined pastoral conflict from political, environmental, and socio-economic perspectives, less attention has been paid to how literary texts and media narratives together frame pastoral identities across national contexts. This study addresses this gap by comparatively examining representations of pastoral “others” in Kenya and Uganda through literary and journalistic narratives. The study draws on framing theory and the concept of othering to explain how narratives construct social identities by emphasizing difference, marginality, and cultural stereotypes. Methodologically, it adopts a comparative qualitative design that integrates literary analysis with media discourse analysis. The Kenyan case focuses on depictions of the Maasai in the works of Henry Ole Kulet, while the Ugandan case examines media portrayals of Balaalo herders in selected newspaper reports and digital news platforms. Texts were purposively sampled to capture dominant narratives of pastoral conflict and inter-community relations. The findings reveal that both literary and media narratives frame pastoral groups through discourses of cultural alterity, mobility, and contested land relations. However, important differences emerge: Kulet’s fiction tends to humanize the Maasai by foregrounding cultural identity, resilience, and historical marginalization, whereas Ugandan media coverage frequently constructs Balaalo herders through conflict-centered frames that emphasize land disputes, insecurity, and tensions with subsistence farming communities. By juxtaposing literary imagination with media representation, the study demonstrates how narrative forms shape public understandings of pastoral conflict in East Africa.
Comparison of ionospheric irregularities observed by the COSMIC satellites with ground-basedscintillationobservationsoverthelowlatitudeAfricanRegion
(Elsevier, 2026-04-07) Mungufeni, Patrick; Migoya-Orue, Yenca; Aol, ItalySharon; Omondi, George
This study compared the ionospheric irregularities as observed using two different techniques, namely; the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) satellites and the scintillation intensity index(S4) data measured by the Scintillation Network and Decision Aid (SCINDA) receiver which operated at Nairobi University (geog lon 36.8 E, geog lat 1.3 S, dip lat−24.1, Kenya. The data compared were those of the years 2009 (low solar activity) and2011(ascending phase of solar cycle24), for both quiet (Kp3) and disturbed(Kp5) geomagnetic conditions. For the cases of Global Positioning System (GPS)satelliteswithelevationangle0as observed by the COSMIC satellites, a geo-location of the COSMIC S4 data associated with the link between GPS and COSMIC satellites was proposed at the tangent point. The COSMIC S4 data whose geo-locations fall in the vicinity of Nairobi were compared with the S4 data measured by the SCINDA receiver. The coefficient of determination which represents the percentage of the variation in COSMIC S4 data associated with the variation in SCINDA S4 was 50 %. The two data sets depict that scintillation occurs mostly in the seasons of March and September equinoxes of high solar activity conditions. However, there was a moderate positive correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient, r=0.52 on quiet days) between COSMIC and SCINDA S4 data. The results presented signify that the COSMIC S4 could be analyzed to study ionospheric irregularities (which cause scintillations) over locations such as deserts and oceans where it is usually difficult to deploy equipment.
Improving IoT data security with blockchain and SHA-3-based integrity validation for real-time transmission
(IEEE, 2026-04-07) Dhamodharan, R; Charanya, P; Rajeswari, S V; Guma, Ali; Christy, A. Ananthi; Priyanka, Thella Preethi
The increased exponentially use of Internet of Things (IoT) tools has given serious considerations to the issue of security and integrity of data transferred on real time networks or questions of authenticity of data. This study suggests a secure messaging architecture of combining Blockchains with integrity validation protocol of SHA-3 assuring non-manipulated IoT real-time data streaming. The architecture proposed here would leverage the Keccak based SHA3-256 cryptographic hash algorithm to establish a unique data fingerprint to each transmission that it would then store on a Blockchain ledger through Proof-of-Authority (PoA) consensus mechanism. This enables receivers to match the hashes to validate authenticity of data received on the one hand, and compute a new hash to check the one attached by the sender on the other hand. It was then constructed with Python 3.13 and the libraries used included: hashlib, pandas, matplotlib, and time and simulations were carried out on synthetically produced sensor values representing temperature and humidity measurements of 10 abstract IoT devices. The data packets contain nonce, timestamp in real-time, and unique device ID to increase the entropy. The process of integrity validation and blockchain logging was tested with pace of hash computing, the delay of blockchain logging and the authenticity of verification. It was experimentally observed that 100 percent data integrity was achieved by the system in normal circumstances where hashing time of the system was on the order of 0.11 ms, blockchain logging latency ranged between 50 to 150 ms, and verification was as observed < 0.06 ms. These findings confirm the viability of the combination between blockchain and SHA-3 in lightweight, secure, and real-time communication of IoT. There is a guarantee of reproducibility and scalability to be deployed in real-world systems (home automation in smart homes, industry automation, and patient monitoring).
Medicinal and aromatic plants as climate-smart crops: case studies on Pelargonium graveolens and Viola odorata under Egyptian conditions
(Springer Nature, 2026-03-04) Hamed, Sobhy A.; Abo-Karima, Mohamed K.; Ali, Guma; Elmessery, Wael M.; Elwakeel, Abdallah Elshawadfy; Ahmed, Atef Fathy; AL-Harbi, Mohammad S.; Abouelatta, Ahmed M.
Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) represent high-value agricultural commodities that provide economic returns through essential oil production while potentially contributing to climate change mitigation via photosynthetic carbon sequestration and oxygen release. Despite their recognized economic importance, few studies have systematically quantified the net environmental performance of MAP cultivation and processing within integrated climate mitigation frameworks. This study evaluated the carbon footprint, oxygen production, and CO₂ absorption of two commercially important MAPs—Pelargonium graveolens (geranium) and Viola odorata (violet)—cultivated under Egyptian field conditions, using life cycle assessment methodology with system boundaries from field operations through extraction. Primary data were collected from commercial farms (geranium: 37 feddans aggregated; violet: 1 feddan) over complete growing cycles. Geranium (6-month season) demonstrated net climate-positive performance with a negative carbon footprint of − 375 kg CO₂-eq. per feddan per season, producing 54,324 m³ of oxygen and absorbing 155,632 kg CO₂ during growth, with photosynthetic uptake exceeding all process emissions (fuel, irrigation electricity, fertilizers, and composting). In contrast, violet (12-month annual cycle) exhibited a positive footprint of + 15,972 kg CO₂-eq. per feddan annually, despite generating 11,148 m³ oxygen and absorbing 12,700 kg CO₂, primarily due to its fuel-intensive solvent extraction process that accounts for 97.3% of total emissions. Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis (N = 10,000 simulations) confirmed geranium’s robustness as a net carbon sink (probability 67.4%) while violet remained a consistent carbon source under current extraction practices. Scenario modeling demonstrated that substituting fossil fuel with solar thermal energy or biogas-derived heat for violet distillation could reduce net emissions by 50–100%, potentially shifting the crop from carbon source to near-neutral status. These findings indicate that MAPs can function as climate-smart crops when cultivation practices are coupled with renewable energy integration in post-harvest processing. The study provides quantitative evidence for prioritizing low-emission extraction technologies and precision irrigation management in MAP value chains to maximize both economic and environmental sustainability outcomes.