Petty policing practices: Enforcement of minor offences against persons with psychosocial disabilities in in three East African countries

The three East African (EA) countries Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda have a population of about 95 million people and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 34.2 billion. In recent years efforts has been made among the three East African countries, towards forging economic and regional co-operation by establishing the East African Community (EAC). The premise for economic and regional co-operation has been underpinned for the need for a common market and boost regional trade. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to achieve one of the international development objectives of increasing growth to 7% a year that is required to reduce income poverty. One of the challenges that East African countries need to tackle in the face of globalisation is the ability to participate in international markets. East African countries have to make serious consideration with regards to changing the composition of their exports away from primary products to manufactured exports. Value addition to both agricultural and industrial products is vital to improving the EA economies. This paper examines the composition of East Africa’s economic structure. The aim is to analyse how the economic structure has changed over time, and to assess whether or not East African countries have transformed their agricultural sectors, and what the impact has been on poverty reduction in these economies.

Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya have been receiving larger amount of official development assistance (ODA) compared to the rest of the East African Community countries. Therefore this study aims at assessing the impact of ODA on economic growth for to those three East African Community countries for the last 35 years from 1980-2014. The study employed the autoregressive distribution lag (ARDL) approach geared by Eviews9 application software for all estimations with the inclusion of other important independent variables like terms of trade, foreign direct investment, education and health. All countries’ ODA estimated results confirmed to have positive and significant effect on their economic growth. Just in the short run, ODA flowing to Kenya and Uganda proved to have a negative significant effect on the economic growth. However in the long run both countries’ ODA effects were positive. Tanzania had a significant positive effect for short and long run. In line with ODA, education and health found to have positive significant short and long run effects on the economic growth of East African countries. However in the previous years the human development factors were negatively affecting the growth, therefore the reverse suggested signs of improvements in the human development.

PurposeProtection of personal data is integral to the digital economy, ensuring trust and privacy as its foundational elements. The purpose of this study is to analyze data protection laws in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda to understand their legal frameworks and identify challenges hindering their effective implementation.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a comparative exploratory case study approach, analyzing legal frameworks of four East African (EA) countries through examination of legal documents, official reports and academic articles. The dimensions of analysis include registration, supervisory authority, data subject rights and cross-border data transfer regulations.FindingsWhile all four EA countries are in the process of enacting data protection acts, they differ in scope, provisions and enforcement; more needs to be done to ensure mature data protection in these countries. The commonalities and distinctions in the legal frameworks are underscored, providing a mapping of data protection regulations in the EA region. Moreover, this study reports implementation constraints and areas for improvement.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide valuable insights for policymakers, highlighting areas where data protection regulations can be improved. The results of this study can guide harmonizing regional data protection laws, ensuring consistent and effective enforcement. This study offers a foundation for future policy development and regional cooperation on data protection issues.Social implicationsThe social implications of this research lie in its potential to shape public attitudes on data protection and privacy rights. By highlighting these concerns, this study may influence societal norms and values, encouraging a more informed and conscientious public discourse on inclusive policies that consider the diverse needs of different regional populations.Originality/valueThis study provides a pioneering comparative analysis of data protection regulations across four EA countries, offering unique insights into the regional variations and commonalities in legal frameworks. Its value lies in informing future policy development, enhancing regional cooperation and contributing to the harmonization of data protection practices in the selected EA countries, which remains an under-explored area in existing literature.

oxygen therapy is a medical treatment provided for all patients who need critical care. To provide effective oxygen therapy, healthcare providers should have good knowledge and practice towards oxygen therapy. There are several separate studies done in East African countries, however there no data on the overall level of healthcare providers practice and knowledge on oxygen therapy. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis was aimed to determine the general level of healthcare providers practice, knowledge, and related factors in East African countries. In order to find articles on oxygen therapy, we searched databases such as PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CLINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane library, repositories from East African countries, and Google Scholar. The review involved articles published in English language and utilizing a cross-sectional study design that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Chi-square and Cochrane Q-Static were used to examine the heterogeneity of the articles included. The researchers used a random effect model to examine the healthcare providers' practice and knowledge of oxygen therapy in East African countries. Funnel plot and Eggers test were used to evaluate publication bias. STATA software version 14 was used for conducting all statistical analyses. A total of 25 articles were included involving 4,433 healthcare providers. The review found that 45% of healthcare providers had good knowledge of oxygen therapy, while 48% had good practice in East African countries. In particular, Tanzania had the highest score (62.5%) for healthcare providers' practice towards oxygen therapy, while Egypt had the lowest score (18%). Concerning healthcare providers' knowledge of oxygen therapy, Uganda had the highest percentage at 76%, while Egypt had the least at 6%. In addition, the study revealed a strong association between the knowledge, experience, education level, and practice of healthcare providers, while the knowledge of healthcare providers on oxygen therapy was significantly associated with their training and experience. Healthcare providers in East African countries had poor knowledge and practice of oxygen therapy. It also found factors that were statistically linked to the healthcare providers' practice and knowledge of oxygen therapy. Hence, it is essential for all stakeholders and health ministries, as well as non-governmental organizations and other relevant bodies in each East African country, to collaborate in enhancing the practice and knowledge of healthcare providers and addressing identified factors. It recorded this review with registration number CRD42024551105.

The genebank at ICRISAT, Patancheru, India conserves 13,771 accessions of pigeonpea germplasm from 74 countries, including 1,168 accessions from 13 East and Southern African (ESA) countries: Based on availability of georeference data, 916 landraces from seven countries were considered for identifying gaps. Eighty four districts located in four East African countries and 54 districts located in three Southern African countries were identified as geographical gaps in the ICRISAT collection. A total of 25 districts in four countries; six provinces in Tanzania and Zambezia province in Mozambique were identified as gaps in phenotypic diversity for specific traits. Kitui and Machakos in Kenya were found as common districts for geographical as well as trait diversity gaps. Launching collection missions in ESA countries to fill geographical, trait-specific and taxonomical gaps in pigeonpea collection from ESA countries at ICRISAT genebank is recommended.

The International Crops Research Institute for the semi-Arid Tropics Genebank at Patancheru, India holds the world's largest collection of 22,211 pearl millet germplasm accessions from 50 countries including 4488 landraces from 16 East and Southern African (ESA) countries. Gap analysis using FloraMap software and 3750 georeferenced pearl millet germplasm accessions from ESA countries revealed 34 districts located in 18 provinces of four East African countries and 76 districts located in 34 provinces of seven Southern African countries as geographical gaps. Analysis of characterization data using DIVA-GIS software showed 11 districts of seven provinces in Sudan and Uganda and 58 districts of 20 provinces of seven countries in Southern Africa as gaps in diversity for important morphoagronomic traits. The following districts were identified as gaps common to geographic area and diversity for some or the other traits: Amuria district in Soroti province of Uganda; Mpwapwa in Dodoma province of Tanzania; Mahalapye in Centre province and Kgatleng in Kgatleng province of Botswana; Lalomo in Southern province of Zambia; and Motoko, Mudzi and Wedza in the province of Mashonaland East; Makoni in Manikaland; Gutu and Chivi in Masvingo; Gwanda and Bulalimamangwe in Metabeland south; Hwange and Nkayi in Metabeland north; and Kwe Kwe in Midlands of Zimbabwe. For a successful germplasm collection mission to fill the gaps identified, planning should be made in advance of collaboration and consultation with National Agricultural Systems, local government officials and extension officers. It is suggested to collect the complete passport data including georeference information while collecting the germplasm.

Proper supplementary nutrition is essential for nurturing and promoting the growth and development of Infants and Young Children (IYC). Poor food quality and safety during this critical period can result in malnutrition. Complementary foods (CF) commonly provided to IYC in East African countries often contain ingredients highly susceptible to mycotoxin contamination, particularly aflatoxins (AFs) and fumonisins (FBs). This narrative review sought to explore the contamination of infant diets with AFs and FBs, as well as the exposure of IYC to these toxins. The review covers the types of CF used in infant diets, their susceptibility to AFs and FBs contamination, associated dietary exposure, and detection methods, along with regulatory and mitigation strategies in the East Africa region. Studies revealed widespread contamination of staple crops with AFs and FBs, highlighting that IYC primarily encounter these toxins through the consumption of cereal-based CF, often supplemented with legumes and oily seeds. Maize and groundnuts emerge as the predominant ingredients in CF. Despite established regulatory limits for these toxins in food intended for the general population, no specific limits exist for IYC, who are particularly vulnerable due to their high consumption of the susceptible crops and relatively small body size. Limited enforcement of existing regulations, unfortunately, allows the problem to persist in these low-resource countries. Focusing on East Africa, this review synthesizes findings from scientific studies to assess the dietary exposure of children to AFs and FBs through CFs. The findings underscore the need for further research on the magnitude and effects of AFs and FBs exposure, coupled with awareness campaigns to promote the demand for clean and safe CF within the East African Community countries.

This study explores the state of liberal democracy and political stability in Africa. In particular it intends to assess what is said about liberal democracy in relation to free and fair election, political stability and the politics of ethnicity in Tanzania and Kenya and the reality happening on the ground (the practice) in East African countries. The rationale for undertaking this analysis is that the East African countries have experienced political transformation: for instance, for much of the post-colonial period East African countries tended to live under one-party regime, but since 1990s East African countries embraced multiparty system. This study pays attention to assessing the outcomes of liberal democracy in East African countries in particular examining the extent to which the liberal democracy promotes free and fair elections, political stability and the mitigation of the politics of ethnicity. This study employed a comparative analysis, in which it compared the extent to which liberal democracy is practiced in Tanzania and Kenya and how far the above-mentioned parameters are realized under the broad spectrum of liberal democracy. The methods of data collection were interviews and documentary review and the discussion of the findings was organized around the sub-themes of this study. The period covered in this discussion is the contemporary period from 1990’s to 2019. The findings indicate that even though African countries have adopted liberal democracy, in some of the East African countries like Kenya, political stability and free and fair elections have not been fully realized, while in Tanzania the experience indicates that political stability is relatively realized after elections. This study concludes that even if the institutions of liberal democracy have gradually developed with partial free and fair elections, the manifestations of political instability still exist in some of the East African countries, as shown by the election violence in Kenya comparatively to Tanzania. Therefore, the interface between the liberal democracy and political stability has not been sufficiently realized in the liberal democratic tradition. This study recommends that elections as one of the pillars of liberal democracy should be properly and fairly instituted, so that the role of liberal democracy is realized in fostering peace and tranquility.

The East African (EA) countries have run budget deficits for over a decade, implying that the amount of tax is low compared to what is required for the smooth-running of their economies. Although several studies have attempted to explore factors behind low tax revenues, these have overly concentrated on the supply side factors (sectoral contributions to GDP, GDP per capita, and inflation). Moreover, these studies have had conflicting results on the determinants of tax revenue. This study, therefore, seeksto investigate the effect of the quality of governance on the amount of tax revenue in the EA countries (1996 to 2016). The study employs the Panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag model as developed by Pesaran et al. (1999). Empirical evidence from the pooled mean group shows a positive long-run relationship among the variables, implying that an improvement in the quality of governance leads to a long-run increase in tax revenue. Therefore, long-run efforts to increase tax revenue in EA should focus on improvements in the quality of governance. However, the study finds a negative short-run relationship.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore the attitudes and perceptions of online instructors towards the use of social media in teaching and learning in East African countries
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings revealed that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the attitudes and perceptions of online instructors towards the use of social media in teaching and learning in East African countries. Preliminary empirical review revealed that online instructors in East African countries perceive social media to be a useful tool in teaching and learning, as it enhances student engagement and facilitates the exchange of information and resources. Concerns about privacy, information security, and access to social media platforms were identified in some universities in the region. Positive attitudes towards the use of social media in teaching and learning were found in most of the studies reviewed.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Social Presence Theory and Community of Inquiry (CoI) Framework may be used to anchor future studies on the attitudes and perceptions of online instructors towards the use of social media in teaching and learning in East African countries. Universities in East African countries should develop policies and guidelines on the use of social media in teaching and learning. Online instructors should be provided with training and support on how to use social media effectively in teaching and learning. Universities in the region should invest in social media technologies to enhance the teaching and learning experience for students.

Disability is a major public health concern worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, including East African countries (EACs), where its prevalence remains high. Effective planning for inclusive health services requires reliable data on prevalence and distribution of disability. However, EACs lack sufficient empirical data on the issue, hindering social services planning. This study aimed to examine socioeconomic and national disparities in reporting disability among individuals aged 5 to 95 years across five EACs. This study utilised secondary data from the most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), comprising a weighted sample of 216,420 individuals. The five EACs included were Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania. The dependent variable was disability status, while independent variables included demographic and socioeconomic factors. Descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and multivariable modified Poisson regression were employed to assess associations, with p-values < 0.05 indicating a significant factor. The overall prevalence of reporting disability in the five EACs, however, it varied across countries. was 15.4%. There was variation across countries; the highest prevalence (19.75%) recoded in Kenya and the lowest (9.94%) observed in the DRC. After controlling for other covariates, females (Adjusted prevalence ratio (APR);1.04;95%CI:1.35,1.80), individuals residing in rural areas (APR;1.10;95%CI:1.04,1.16), separated/widowed individuals (APR;1.27,95%CI:1.18,1.36), individuals from the poorest households (APR; APR;1.10; 95%CI: 1.04, 1.16), individuals who are covered by health insurance (APR;1.05;95%CI:1.01,1.09) and the female headed households (APR;1.14;95%CI:1.10,1.19) had higher prevalence ratio of reporting disability compared to their counterparts. Conversely, individuals from the Malawi had (APR;0.05;95%CI:0.40,0.67) lower prevalence ratio of people reporting disability compared to those who were from the DRC. In addition, there was interaction of age and education level in relation to disability. This implies that association between age and disability may be influenced differently depending on education level of an individual. This study highlighted a significant disability prevalence in EACs. Its associated factors included female gender, poorer economic households, rural areas and separation. There was interaction of age and education level on influencing disability. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions and further research into underlying mechanisms to improve support systems for vulnerable populations.

Low contraception usage among adolescents is a significant public health issue, leading to a rise in unintended pregnancies and adolescent childbearing in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite global efforts to improve access to contraception, sexually active adolescents and young women in East Africa are often overlooked, exposing them to substantial health risks. This study explored the factors influencing contraceptive use among unmarried and sexually active adolescents and young women in East African countries. National representative data from the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey for eight East African countries were used in the analysis. Data processing and analysis were performed using STATA 17 software. A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression was used to identify determinants of contraceptive use at p<0.05. A total of 7813 sexually active unmarried adolescents and young women were considered for the final analysis. Among these young women, 24.9% were using a contraceptive method. Age, place of residence, knowledge of contraceptive methods, employment status and educational attainment were identified as significant determining factors of contraceptive use among sexually active unmarried adolescents and young women (aged 15-24 y) in East Africa. Contraceptive utilization among sexually active unmarried adolescents and young women was relatively low in East African countries. Addressing the existing inequalities in access to contraceptive services for rural adolescents and young women in East African countries is crucial. Prioritizing policies that implement comprehensive sexual education is essential to enhance their knowledge of contraceptives and empower them to make informed decisions.

This study gives an overview of the primordial approaches to ethnicity. Generally, there are two main approaches to understanding ethnicity: primordial and constructivist. Even though it acknowledges the popularity of the latter approaches and the critique they bring forth, it argues that they are not enough to erase the usefulness of the former (primordial approaches). It strongly regards the primordial approaches as foundational with regard to explaining the essence of ethnicity or ethnic belongingness. This study however focuses on the following five main features of the primordial approaches: common ancestry; culture; language; landscape; and names. It lends credence to Atieno-Odhiambo (2002) and Kumaravadivelu’s (2008) argument that ethnic belongingness has always been a perduring phenomenon, and that there has always been a desire among most people to identify ethnically. Lastly, in giving prominence to the present-day Kenya – an east African country – it also argues that while there should always be (as have always been) accommodating towards other ethnicities, including intermarrying with them, we should be proud of our specific ethnic belongingness, celebrate ethnic diversity and resist attempts to lose ourselves to some sort of ‘imposed’ global homogeneity which is fashioned to undercut our ethnic grounding.

BackgroundFirearm violence is a growing public health problem causing death globally. With easy accessibility to firearms, suicides, homicides, and homicide-suicides have increased among security officers, especially in developing countries affected by long-standing civil wars/political insurgencies. No study has explored firearm violence in East African countries. This study describes the press media reporting of suicides, homicides, and homicide-suicides among security officers in two East African countries (Uganda and Kenya).MethodsDue to the absence of suicide databases among East African countries, the present study reviewed press media reports. We utilized content analysis of suicides, homicides, and homicide-suicides reports among security forces. Relevant media reports between January-2020 and May-2023 were searched. Using ANOVA and chi-square tests, we tested for statistical differences in characteristics between victims and perpetrators.ResultsAmong the 56 perpetrated reports, most of them were homicides 44.64% (n = 25/56), 30.36% (n = 17/56) were homicide-suicides, and 25% (n = 14/56) were suicides. Perpetrators’ age ranged from 21 to 47 years, majority being males [53/56 (94.64%)]. Victims were 58, mostly Ugandans [41/58 (73.21%)] with a mean age of 33.5 ± 8.81 years. Among the three main outcomes, statistically significant difference existed by country (χ2 = 23.88, p < 0.001), and perpetrators’ age (F = 8.59, p = 0.005). There was a significant difference between perpetrators and the number of victims lost by age of victims (F = 10.37, p = 0.002). Among victims, type of security of perpetrator and citizenship of victims (χ2 = 24.18, p < 0.001) showed statistical difference with Ugandans having more victims to army officers while Kenyans to police officers. Brief incident descriptions pointed towards relationship dysfunctions, alcohol/substance abuse, intentional harm, and financial disagreements, as the potential causes. Only two perpetrators were reported to have mental health-related conditions.ConclusionThis study shows that media reported firearms-related suicides, homicides, and homicide-suicides among security forces commonly involve males. Perpetrators in Uganda are mainly army officers while in Kenya the perpetrators are mostly police officers. Mental health conditions were not frequently reported among perpetrators. We recommend strengthening and enforcing gun regulation policies among security officers to curb this growing problem in these countries. Routine screening of mental health problems to enable early interventions is recommended among security officers.

Background: The number of studies on the magnitude of anemia and its determinant factors among lactating mothers is limited in East African countries regardless of its multivariate consequences. Even though few studies were conducted on the magnitude of anemia and its determinants, most of them focused on the country level and different parts of countries. Therefore, the current study is aimed to determine the magnitude of anemia and determinant factors among lactating mothers in East African countries.Methods: From nine East African countries, a total weighted sample of 25,425 lactating mothers was included in the study. Determinate factors of anemia were identified using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). Variables with a p < 0.05 in the final GLMM model were stated to confirm significant association with anemia.Result: The magnitude of anemia in East African countries was found to be 36.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 35.55%, 36.75%]. Besides, as for the generalized linear mixed-effect model, age, educational status, working status, country of residence, wealth index, antenatal care service, place of delivery, history of using family planning in a health facility, current pregnancy, and visited by fieldworker in the last 12 months were factors that have a significant association with anemia in lactating mothers.Conclusion: In East Africa, more than one-third of lactating mothers have anemia. The odds of anemia were significantly low among young mothers (15–34), who had primary education, were working, country of residence, and higher wealth index (middle and high). In addition, the likelihood of anemia was also low among lactating mothers who had antenatal care, used family planning, delivered at a health facility, were pregnant during the survey, and visited by fieldworkers. Therefore, promoting maternal care services (family planning, Antenatal Care (ANC), and delivery at health facilities) and a field visit by health extension workers are strongly recommended.