E-Government

2010 ◽  
pp. 80-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sirkku Kristiina Hellsten
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Good Governance ◽  
Ethical Framework ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Local Justice ◽  
User Skills

E-government and other applications of information technologies can provide powerful means for global, national and local justice, increased democracy, decentralized decision-making, and more efficient service delivery. In general, e-government initiatives are aimed at modernizing governmental agencies in their dealings with the public and extending services into online environments. In various African countries, e-government initiatives have begun; they have allowed citizens easy access to public services and lobbying opportunities at policy level decision-making. This chapter identifies prospects and challenges in e-government and e-governance in the East African region. The author sketches harmonizing strategies for the development of an ethical framework for their implementation and argues that the challenge of e-governance in developing countries resides in the challenge of “good governance” as well as issues of accessibility and user skills.

scholarly journals Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway Project in the Context of Theory and Practice of Regional Planning

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leanard Otwori Juma ◽  
Fredrick Adol Gogo ◽  
Ahmed Abduletif Abdulkadr ◽  
Dénes Dávid Lóránt
Keyword(s):  
Regional Planning ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Transportation Services ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
The Impact

Despite most African countries having immense natural and human resources potential, the continent has mostly been lagging on matters of economic development. This scenario could primarily be attributed to weak intra-regional and inter-country trade given the poor connectivity, quality, and diversity in transportation services and infrastructure. In this regard, the governments of the greater East African Region representing Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya, therefore, mooted a coordinated vision to develop interlinked regional infrastructure in road and rail transport to allow smooth movement of goods and services.  This paper aimed to critically review the impact of the SGR development on Kenya in the context of regional planning and development. The methodology of the study was a critical review of existing literature and secondary data. Study findings indicated that the development of the (Standard Gauge Railway) SGR is in tandem with the development strategies of other East African Countries. Its development is incorporated in national spatial plans with the rail route targeting regions with viable populations and sustainable economic activities. Criticisms, however, revolve around the ballooning debt to finance infrastructural development and lack of prioritization f mega projects. In conclusion, despite the financial constraints, the SGR is viewed to significantly influence the socio-economic spheres while presenting challenges in the management of landscapes where it traverses in Kenya and the Region.

scholarly journals Analysis of main risk factors contributing to obesity in the region of East Africa: meta-analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 248-256
Author(s):  
Lenka Mařincová ◽  
Simona Šafaříková ◽  
Radka Cahlíková
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Obesity Prevalence ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Risk Ratios

Background: Over a few decades obesity has become a major global health problem. Its prevalence worldwide has more than doubled since 1980. The situation is expected to worsen in the future, especially in the developing countries that experience nutrition transition due to economic growth. It contributes to reduction in malnutrition which supports an increase in obesity prevalence. Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the predictors of obesity in the region of East Africa. Methods: Meta-analysis of existing studies was used in order to find the different risk factors and their significance in obesity development. Data extracted from 16 published academic research articles described the situation in East African countries. The significance of the effect of each variable was tested by means of an asymptotic chi-square test, or Fisher's exact (factorial) test and the risk ratios were calculated. Results: Based on the chi-square test and the risk ratios of the aggregated data, three risk factors were found to be significant in the development of obesity – gender, type of residence and socio-economic status. In East African countries, women are significantly more likely to be obese. Living in an urban area and socioeconomic status are also positively associated with obesity. Because of insufficient data three other risk factors did not prove to be of any significance – alcohol consumption, smoking and education level. Conclusion: Conclusions of this meta-analysis confirm world trends but we also found results that are not in line with them (e.g. education). This meta-analysis confirms the huge existing research gap concerning obesity predictors in the East African region. Keywords: Obesity; meta-analysis; East Africa. 

scholarly journals An Analysis of Public-Private Partnerships in East Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 152
Author(s):  
Lukamba Muhiya Tshombe ◽  
Thekiso Molokwane ◽  
Alex Nduhura ◽  
Innocent Nuwagaba
Keyword(s):  
Developed Countries ◽  
Public Private Partnerships ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Scientific Discussion ◽  
East African Region ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Impact

The impact of the implementation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the Sub-Saharan African region on infrastructure and services is becoming increasingly perceptible. A considerable number of African countries have embraced PPPs as a mechanism to finance large projects due to a constrained fiscus. At present, many financial institutions, such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank, which finance some of the projects, have established a department or unit that mainly focuses on infrastructure development in developing countries. The private sector in Africa is equally seen as a significant partner in the development of infrastructure. African governments need to tap into private capital to invest in infrastructure projects. This scientific discussion provides an analysis of PPPs in the East African region. This article selected a number of countries to illustrate PPP projects in the sub-region. The analysis of this study illustrates that the East African region represents unique and valuable public-private partnership lessons in different countries. This study also traces the origins of PPPs to more than a century ago where developed countries completed some of their projects using the same arrangement. This paper further demonstrates that the application of PPPs is always characterised by three factors, namely a country, a sector and a project. Experts in the field often refer to these elements as layers, which usually precede any successful PPP.

scholarly journals COVID-19 Response in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons From Uganda

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. e46-e48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Lumu
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ebola Virus ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
East African ◽  
Limited Disease ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Response Team ◽  
Sub Saharan

ABSTRACTThe prolongation of the Ebola epidemic may have allowed some countries to prepare and respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. In Uganda, the surveillance structure built for Ebola virus disease (EVD) has become a pillar in the COVID-19 response. This testing and tracing apparatus has limited disease spread to clusters with zero mortality compared with the neighboring East African countries. As more sub-Saharan countries implement social distancing to contain the outbreak, the interventions should be phased and balanced with health risk and socioeconomic situation. However, having a decision-making matrix would better guide the response team. These initial lessons from EVD-experienced Uganda may be helpful to other countries in the region.

The State of Publishing in East Africa

LOGOS ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiarie Kamau
Keyword(s):  
East Africa ◽  
Publishing Industry ◽  
Book Publishing ◽  
Digital Publishing ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
The State ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
East African Region

The main aim of this paper is to examine the state of publishing in East Africa. It also attempts to review the situation in Malawi and Zambia, where the author has had practical experience in publishing and marketing. The paper focuses on the growth of the publishing industry in the East African region and how this growth has impacted on access to textbooks and trade publications. It demonstrates that there has been significant growth in the industry, especially in Kenya and Uganda. However, this growth has largely been in the area of publishing of textbooks. Funding for the rollout of curricula in the East African countries has been a blessing to publishers because the funding includes allocations for textbook purchases for both primary and secondary schools. However, this kind of publishing has sounded something of a death knell for the publication of general books such as novels and biographies. The paper also demonstrates that indigenous book-publishing firms have gained a stronger foothold in East Africa in the last ten years and edged out the multinationals. It concludes by indicating that unless the publishing model changes, general publishing will continue to be relegated to the back-burner. At the same time, publishers are challenged to embrace digital publishing, since that is where the future of publishing lies.

scholarly journals The Impact of Renewable Energy, Economic and Population Growth on CO2 Emissions in the East African Region: Evidence from Common Correlated Effect Means Group and Asymmetric Analysis

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Jean Pierre Namahoro ◽  
Qiaosheng Wu ◽  
Haijun Xiao ◽  
Na Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Renewable Energy Consumption ◽  
The Impact

This study aims to examine the asymmetric nexus between CO2 emissions and renewable energy and economic and population growth in seven East African countries (EACs) at the regional level and country levels. Common correlated effect means group (CCEMG), nonlinear autoregressive distributed lagged (NARDL), and causality tests were employed for the panel data from 1980 to 2016. The main findings are as follows: (1) Renewable energy consumption negatively affects CO2 emissions, while economic and population growth positively affect CO2 emissions at the regional level. (2) The findings of asymmetric and symmetric linkages between CO2 emissions and its determinants (economic and population growth and renewable energy) are very volatile across the country levels. (3) The causality hypotheses are different across the country and regional levels. (4) This study shows the renewable energy growth nexus, wherein renewable energy positively affects economic growth at the regional level. Lastly, the study suggests potential policy implications for effectively reducing CO2 emissions as well as growing the economy at the regional level.

East African Monetary Union

2021 ◽  
pp. 175-194
Author(s):  
Louis A. Kasekende
Keyword(s):  
Economic Integration ◽  
Monetary Union ◽  
Public Debt ◽  
Central Banking ◽  
Fiscal Sustainability ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Macroeconomic Shocks ◽  
The Common

This chapter highlights progress with the East Africa Monetary Union (EAMU) and the implications for the future of central banking in the Eastern African region. In 2013, East African countries committed to move to a monetary union by 2024. However, monetary unions offer benefits as well as challenges, given the experience in European Monetary Union. The chapter highlights four main important issues: the imperative of extensive economic integration in order to reap benefits from EAMU; the need for strong, enforceable, but feasible rules to ensure the fiscal sustainability of each partner state, given that once EAMU is established, they will no longer have the option of financing their public debt from their own central banks; the mechanism for alignment of the exchange rates in the period prior to the introduction of the common currency; and how to mitigate the adverse impact of asymmetric macroeconomic shocks within the EAC.

scholarly journals African horizons of Russian science and education

2020 ◽  
pp. 5-10
Author(s):  
V. A. Kosyanov
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Russian Science ◽  
Resource Base ◽  
Science And Education ◽  
Russian Universities

Based on the results of the first Russia—Africa Summit and Economic Forum, priority areas of economic cooperation, according to which concrete results can be achieved in the coming years, were identified. These are modern and high-tech mining and processing of minerals, geological exploration, energy (including renewable energy sources), infrastructure development (specifically the construction of railways and housing), agriculture, digital technology, medicine, science and education. Cooperation between Russian universities and African countries occupies a special place. Currently implemented by the Sergo Ordzhonikidze Russian State University for Geological Prospecting (MGRI), the scientific and educational initiative for the development of the mineral resource base of Uganda, presented in June 2019 to the country’s President Yoweri Museveni, is the basis for International cooperation between Russian universities in the East African region.

scholarly journals Women’s autonomy and utilisation of maternal healthcare services in 31 Sub-Saharan African countries: results from the demographic and health surveys, 2010–2016

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e023128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chol Chol ◽  
Joel Negin ◽  
Kingsley Emwinyore Agho ◽  
Robert Graham Cumming
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Household Income ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Maternal Healthcare ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Women’S Autonomy ◽  
Women's Autonomy ◽  
Sub Saharan

ObjectivesTo examine the association between women’s autonomy and the utilisation of maternal healthcare services across 31 Sub-Saharan African countries.Design, setting and participantsWe analysed the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) (2010–2016) data collected from married women aged 15–49 years. We used four DHS measures related to women’s autonomy: attitude towards domestic violence, attitude towards sexual violence, decision making on spending of household income made by the women solely or jointly with husbands and decision making on major household purchases made by the women solely or jointly with husbands. We used multiple logistic regression analyses to examine the association between women’s autonomy and the utilisation of maternal healthcare services adjusted for five potential confounders: place of residence, age at birth of the last child, household wealth, educational attainment and working status. Adjusted ORs (aORs) and 95% CI were used to produce the forest plots.Outcome measuresThe primary outcome measures were the utilisation of ≥4 antenatal care visits and delivery by skilled birth attendants (SBA).ResultsPooled results for all 31 countries (194 883 women) combined showed weak statistically significant associations between all four measures of women’s autonomy and utilisation of maternal healthcare services (aORs ranged from 1.07 to 1.15). The strongest associations were in the Southern African region. For example, the aOR for women who made decisions on household income solely or jointly with husbands in relation to the use of SBAs in the Southern African region was 1.44 (95% CI 1.21 to 1.70). Paradoxically, there were three countries where women with higher autonomy on some measures were less likely to use maternal healthcare services. For example, the aOR in Senegal for women who made decisions on major household purchases solely or jointly with husbands in relation to the use of SBAs (aOR=0.74 95% CI 0.59 to 0.94).ConclusionOur results revealed a weak relationship between women’s autonomy and the utilisation of maternal healthcare services. More research is needed to understand why these associations are not stronger.

scholarly journals Women's Empowerment Measures and Their Association with Child Dietary Diversity and Child Nutritional Status: Findings from DHS Form Eight East African Countries (P10-007-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Komakech ◽  
Christine Walters ◽  
Hasina Rakotomanana ◽  
Deana Hildebrand ◽  
Barbara Stoecker
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Status ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Women's Empowerment ◽  
Women’S Empowerment ◽  
East African ◽  
African Region ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Child Nutritional Status

Abstract Objectives Research on the efficacy of women's empowerment measures to improve child dietary diversity Scores (CDDS) and child nutritional status in the East African region is limited. Our study examined the association between maternal economic autonomy, social-familial freedom, self-esteem, health decisiveness and legal empowerment and CDDS, length-for-age z scores (LAZ), weight-for-height z scores (WHZ) and weight-for-age z scores (WAZ). Methods The most recent Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data from eight countries in the East African Region were used; (Burundi 2016–2017, Ethiopia 2016, Kenya 2014, Malawi 2015–2016, Rwanda 2014–2015, Tanzania 2015–2016, Uganda 2016 and Zambia 2013–2014). Mother (15–49 years) and index child (6–23 months) dyads data was used as the main inclusion criteria. Frequency statistics described selected child, maternal, household and women's empowerment characteristics. Logistic and linear regression models tested the association between each of the women's empowerment measures and CDDS, and child nutritional status respectively. The models were adjusted for household, maternal and child covariates. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results Over half (>55.5%) of the mothers in their respective countries had control over health-related decisions. Most of the mothers (>58.7%) perceived that domestic violence was wrong. Significant bivariate associations were observed between specific women's empowerment measures with CDDS in all countries except Malawi and Uganda. After adjustment in multivariate models, the economic empowerment domain remained significantly associated with CDDS in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, and the legal empowerment domain remained significantly associated with CDDS in five of eight countries. Individual women's empowerment measures remained significantly associated with higher LAZ, WAZ and WHZ each in a different combination within four of the eight countries. Conclusions Women's empowerment measures were associated with higher child dietary diversity score and better child nutritional status in these East African Countries. Interventions aimed at improving CDDS and child nutrition outcomes should include promotion of women's empowerment across multiple dimensions. Funding Sources This study had no funding sources.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document