Browsing by Author "Eton, Marus"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Boda-boda business activity and socioeconomic transformation in Wakiso District, Uganda
    (Journal of Governance and Accountability Studies (JGAS), 2025-07-15) Mbowa, Henry Stanley; Eton, Marus; Tushabe, Sylivia Byarugaba
    Purpose: This study established the effect of Boda-boda Business Activity (BBA) on socioeconomic transformation in Wakiso District, Uganda. Methods: This study employed a descriptive design with quantitative and qualitative approaches. A total of 89 respondents were determined from 114 people at the boda-boda stage in Kitemu. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. The data were analyzed using SPSS to generate descriptive statistics. SEM was employed to establish the causal effect between the variables. Results: The results indicated that people joined BBA to earn a living to support their families (Mean=4.4; Std.D=0.756), due to a lack of jobs (Mean=4.07; Std.D=1.055), and ease of repairing motorbikes (Mean=3.85; Std.D=1.417). Furthermore, BBA had a significant effect on socioeconomic transformation (β=0.392; p˂0.000). Conclusion: The BBA has the potential to bring substantial socioeconomic transformation, including employment creation (mean=4.0), improved mobility (mean=4.12), and stimulated local commerce (mean=3.79) in Kitemu Ward. Thus, the BBA had a positive effect on socioeconomic transformation (β=0.392, p<0.001). Limitation: The study employed a descriptive survey design on motorbike riders in Kitemu Ward, which might hinder generalization of the study findings. Thus, more studies need to be conducted using different research designs on a larger sample of boda-boda stages in Wakiso. Contributions: This study provides information to the Ministry of Work and Transport on how the boda-boda sector can be improved to enhance socioeconomic transformation in Wakiso.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Exploring the effect of digital finance on financial inclusion in Uganda, a reflection from Lira City
    (Emerald Publishing, 2025-03-18) Eton, Marus; Mwosi, Fabian; Amandu, Ishaq Yassin; Ocan, Johnson; Ogwel, Bernard Patrick
    Purpose—The study aims to discuss financial inclusion (FI) as a facilitator of digital financing, with the intention of solving challenges relating to financial exclusion. Design/methodology/approach—To understand the nexus between digital finance (DF) and FI, both descriptive and correlation research designs were used. The study collected data from 300 respondents, including vendors and dealers in agricultural produce, who were selected purposively and randomly. Findings—The study found a significant contribution of DF to FI and significant variations in FI due to mobile money (MM) and Internet banking. MM and smartphones are very often used in performing commercial transactions due to their easy accessibility compared to ATMs, the Internet, and agent banking, which are always restricted. Research limitations/implications—The study only focused on how the DF platform affects financial inclusiveness in Lira City and did not explore other financial services. Social implications—The quickest and widest adoption of MM by rural communities is mostly due to its user-friendliness, which seems to be lacking in other bank applications or products. Originality/value—The study offers significant insight into challenges related to financial inclusiveness, which is a global concern for many economies.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Navigating the enigmas of unregulated nomadic pastoralism on peasant farmer communities
    (East African Nature and Science Organization (EANSO), 2025-09-15) Ocan, Johnson; Eton, Marus; Akello, Jacqueline; Arinaitwe, Julius Alexander
    This study investigated the profound implications of the roaming pastoral practices of the Balaalo on peasant farming communities in Northern Uganda, particularly the disruptions resulting from their free-range nomadic lifestyles. Employing a qualitative research design, data were collected through questionnaires and subsequently analysed using MAXQDA’s auto-coding, sentiment, and text-based analytical tools. The target population comprised 600 individuals across affected communities, with 400 participants ultimately completing the study. The reduced participation was largely attributed to the contextual challenges of unregulated pastoralism: seasonal cattle movements and recurrent land conflicts caused widespread displacement, insecurity, and mobility, which hindered consistent engagement. Furthermore, subsistence farmers often prioritised urgent survival activities over research commitments, making the final sample both realistic and representative of community realities. Findings reveal that loosely regulated mobile pastoralism exerts a significant strain on agrarian livelihoods. The Balaalo’s patterns of land encroachment and the destruction of farmlands have intensified tensions across the Acoli, Lango, and Madi subregions, with a high potential for replication in other parts of Uganda if left unaddressed. The study underscores the structural consequences of nomadic incursions, including disruption of local farming systems, heightened food insecurity, and increasing vulnerability among subsistence households. These dynamics highlight the urgent need for effective policy interventions to balance pastoral mobility with agrarian land rights. The study acknowledges certain limitations. Because the analysis draws on case studies within four districts, the findings cannot fully capture the breadth of livelihood adjustments or the nuanced belief systems of all affected communities. Nonetheless, the research provides valuable insights into ongoing structural transformations in northern Uganda. This work makes three critical contributions: first, it demonstrates the long-term consequences of unregulated pastoral mobility on smallholder farming systems; second, it highlights the formation of alternative and adaptive livelihood strategies within contested rangelands; and third, it situates these processes within broader debates on poverty reduction and vulnerability mitigation in pastoral–agrarian interfaces. By foregrounding the lived realities of farmers confronting the pressures of roaming pastoralism, the study advances both scholarly and policy dialogues on land use, livelihood security, and sustainable coexistence in Uganda and beyond.