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.
How to publish in Muni Repository
- Contact the library through email: libsupport@muni.ac.ug
Communities in MR
Select a community to browse its collections.
Recent Submissions
‘Dwete a Lango’: Lunar Timekeeping, Culture, and Sustainability in Northern Uganda
(East African Nature & Science Organization, 2026-07-08) Agea, Jacob Godfrey; Eton, Marus
In this paper, we examined the Traditional Lango Lunar Calendar (Dwete a Lango) as an indigenous knowledge system that historically guided agriculture, food security, environmental management, social organisation, and cultural practices among the Lango people of Northern Uganda. The study was motivated by the rapid erosion of indigenous knowledge resulting from westernisation, modernisation, formal education, globalisation, religious transformation, climate variability, and changing socio-economic conditions. Despite its historical significance in organising rural livelihoods and maintaining ecological balance, the Lango lunar calendar has received limited scholarly documentation and analysis. We adopted a qualitative ethnographic research design grounded in indigenous knowledge and cultural ecology theories. Data were collected through oral interviews, focus group discussions, and document review involving elders, cultural leaders, farmers, herbalists, historians, academics, and local government officials from selected districts in the Lango sub-region. Findings revealed that the calendar comprised thirteen lunar months, each linked to distinct environmental conditions, agricultural activities, food systems, rituals, hunting practices, ceremonies, and social behaviours. It also functioned as an indigenous meteorological system that enabled communities to anticipate rainfall patterns, schedule planting and harvesting, manage hunger periods, coordinate cultural events, and guide childbirth and child naming according to the lunar month. However, the study established that the use of the calendar has declined markedly, and in some areas disappeared entirely, owing to westernisation, climatic unpredictability, religious influences, youth disengagement, and weak intergenerational knowledge transmission. Nevertheless, important elements remain relevant for climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, indigenous education, and cultural preservation. We conclude that revitalising the Lango lunar calendar could strengthen sustainable rural development, reinforce cultural identity, and enhance resilience through locally grounded knowledge systems. We therefore recommend systematic documentation, integration into educational curricula, promotion through community cultural revitalisation initiatives such as Itoogo me Lango, and supportive policies to preserve and sustain this valuable indigenous heritage.
Management and promotion of wild and semi-wild food plants in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda
(East African Nature & Science Organization, 2026-07-08) Akello, Sarah; Agea, Jacob Godfrey
Wild and semi-wild food plants (WSWFPs) continue to contribute significantly to household nutrition, livelihoods, and indigenous knowledge systems in many African rural communities, although information regarding their management and promotion in Uganda remains limited. This study examined local management practices, species selection criteria, challenges, opportunities, and improvement strategies associated with WSWFPs in Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. A cross-sectional research design integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches was employed in Mutunda and Kiryandongo sub-counties of Kibanda County. Data were collected from 385 randomly selected households using semi-structured questionnaires, complemented by eight focus group discussions involving knowledgeable community members. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics in Microsoft Excel and MINITAB, while qualitative information was interpreted through thematic content analysis. Results indicated that most households did not intentionally manage WSWFPs, although several respondents practised low-input management approaches such as occasional cultivation, seed broadcasting, selective retention during weeding, transplanting naturally regenerated seedlings, and protecting preferred species within natural habitats. Women were the principal custodians of most management activities. Among the sixty-two recorded species, only thirteen were occasionally cultivated, mainly because of market demand, palatability, rapid maturity, cultural acceptance, and ease of management. Key limitations affecting wider promotion included poor market competitiveness, invasive growth habits of certain species, limited preparation knowledge, negative social perceptions, habitat degradation, and inadequate institutional support. Nevertheless, respondents identified opportunities linked to increasing nutritional awareness, expanding market demand, cultural importance, and ecological adaptability. Suggested interventions included establishment of community seed centres, public sensitisation campaigns, participatory research, policy support, domestication initiatives, commercialisation, and documentation of indigenous knowledge. The study concludes that WSWFPs remain important components of local food systems and biodiversity conservation but require stronger institutional recognition and sustainable management interventions. Integrating these species into national food security, conservation, and climate adaptation frameworks could strengthen rural resilience and sustainable livelihoods in Uganda.
Eggshell-activated carbon from water hyacinths for heavy metal removal from wastewater: Isotherm and kinetic studies
(MDPI journals, 2026-07-08) Atumanye, Claire; Bbumba, Simon; Nsubuga, Hakimu; Kiganda, Ivan; Omara, Timothy; Kwetegyeka, Justus
Heavy metals (HMs) such as copper (Cu), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and zinc (Zn) from industrial activities are discharged into nearby water resources after treatment. In the present study, the potential of utilizing chemically activated carbon derived from water hyacinths as a sustainable and low-cost adsorbent for heavy metal removal from industrial wastewater from the Nakawa industrial area, Uganda was investigated. The measured physicochemical parameters of wastewater (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, chlorides and total hardness) varied significantly among the three sampled sites (p < 0.05), except for pH. Similarly, the concentration of the HMs in the samples (0.54 ± 0.04 mg L−1 for Cr to 93.54 ± 0.07 mg L−1 for Pb) varied significantly between sites (p < 0.05), exceeding the maximum permissible limits of Cd, Pb, Cr, Cu and Zn specified in the National Environment Standards for Discharge of Effluent into Water or Land. The water hyacinth biomass was activated using eggshell powder and phosphoric acid, followed by thermal treatment. Characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that there was improvement in its surface functionality and porosity post activation. Batch adsorption experiments indicated that optimal removal of the HMs was achieved at pH 4–5, contact time of 90 min, and 1.0 g of adsorbent. Maximum adsorption capacities of Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr and Zn were in the range of 1.04–8.36 mg g−1. Under the optimized conditions, the eggshell-activated carbon derived from water hyacinths had removal efficiencies of 91.2 ± 9.1% (range: 71.3–100%). Adsorption occurred through both monolayer and multilayer coverage, as indicated by the experimental data which fitted well to the Freundlich isotherm (Cd2+, Pb2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ ions) and Langmuir isotherm model (Cr3+ ions). These results support the potential of water hyacinth-derived activated carbon as an ecofriendly alternative for treating low concentrations of these HMs in industrial wastewater.
Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) Security: A Comprehensive survey of threat models, protocols, mitigation strategies, technological integrations, tools, and performance metrics
(Mesopotamia Academic Press, 2026-07-04)
The Internet of Bio-Nano Things (IoBNT) constitutes a transformative paradigm to support applications in precision medicine, environmental monitoring, and bio-hybrid cyber-physical systems. However, it faces a complex security landscape. Existing research typically examines isolated threats, individual protocol layers, or specific communication modalities, rather than providing a unified perspective on security vulnerabilities, threat models, and mitigation strategies across the entire IoBNT stack. This study provides a comprehensive, structured, and security-centric overview of IoBNT systems by identifying and classifying security threats; analyzing existing and emerging security protocols and mitigation techniques; examining enabling technological integrations that support secure IoBNT operations; and establishing coherent performance metrics and evaluation criteria. The study adopted a comprehensive review methodology, examining 153 research papers retrieved from Frontiers, ACM Digital Library, Wiley Online Library, Nature, Springer Nature, ScienceDirect, MDPI, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, and Google Scholar, with a focus on publications from 2023 to 2026 that addressed security aspects of the IoBNT. The survey examines contemporary security challenges and defenses in the IoBNT ecosystem. It synthesizes state-of-the-art mitigation strategies alongside reinforcing technological integrations for predictive bio-cyber risk assessment and quantum-safe mechanisms that support long-term resilience. The analysis also surveys tools, simulation frameworks, testbeds, and experimental platforms used to model, validate, and benchmark IoBNT security solutions, while consolidating standardized performance metrics. Finally, it maps the current research landscape, identifies open challenges, and outlines future directions for developing secure, reliable, and ethically aligned IoBNT systems. This survey offers important implications for both researchers and practitioners by delivering a holistic security perspective that informs the design of robust, interoperable, and trustworthy IoBNT systems.
Young adult vulnerability in the academe: Navigating the moratorium between social and academic life
(East African Nature & Science Organization, 2026-07-03) Aparo, Jenifer; Atibuni, Dennis Zami
Globally, higher education institutions are recognised as key developmental spaces where young adults engage in identity exploration, relationship building, and career preparation. This view is grounded in developmental theories that describe university life as a transitional period marked by exploration and instability, during which students gradually assume adult roles. Contemporary research further shows that universities contribute not only to academic learning but also to students’ psychological and social well-being. However, increasing marketisation and competition in higher education have intensified academic demands, employability pressures, and financial uncertainty, contributing to rising levels of stress, anxiety, and psychological distress among students. This study employed a scoping review guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute framework and reported using PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Peer-reviewed and policy literature published between 2000 and 2024 was retrieved from major academic databases and synthesised using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal four interrelated themes: academic challenges, including workload pressure, performance demands, and transition difficulties; social challenges, including weak peer integration, loneliness, and exclusion; interaction effects, showing a reinforcing cycle between academic stress and social withdrawal; and institutional responses, including mentoring, counselling, academic advising, and inclusive teaching practices. Evidence further indicates that students from low-income, first-generation, and international backgrounds experience heightened vulnerability due to compounded academic, social, and financial pressures. The study concludes that student vulnerability in higher education is multidimensional and shaped by the interaction of academic, social, and institutional systems. It recommends integrated, system-level interventions that simultaneously address academic demands and social integration in order to enhance student well-being and academic success across diverse higher education contexts.