College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT)

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    Tribal crafts of Uganda
    (Oxford University Press, 1953) Trowell, Margaret ; Waschmann, K.P.
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    Uganda's visual environment: development and change
    (Triangle Arts Trust, 2002) Kyeyune, George
    The article looks at the ways in which external factors were a necessary currency for the emergency of new local modernism in visual arts, and at the means by which local resources were used in development in a wider context of rapid social and culture change in Uganda
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    Uganda's visual environment: development and change
    (Triangle Arts Trust, 2002) Kyeyune, George
    The appropriation of external elements and their local domestication are important ingredients for the growth and survival of a distinct culture. Norbert Kaggwa, a student at the Margaret Trowell School of Fine Art, Makerere University, Kampala, 1960-1964, gives voice to a gratitude for social changes that led to rapid economic development, and at the same time to a dissatisfaction over repercussions of a rapidity so unprecedented that particular localities were taken by storm, allowing them no more than a moment for the adjustments necessary to their survival. This essay looks at the ways in which external factors were necessary currency for the emergence of new local modernism in the visual arts, and at the means by which local resources were used in this development in the wider context of rapid social and cultural change in Uganda
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    Art in Uganda in the 20th century
    (University of London, 2003) Kyeyune, George
    This study examines the major trends and transformations in Uganda’s modern art practice since its inception at Makerere in the 1930s by Margaret Trowell. In the early stages of its development, Trowell was driven by her belief in an African aesthetic. She introduced a curriculum that subordinated technique in favour of subject matter derived from local themes. However differences in opinion soon emerged between herself and her assistants. By the 1950s, Gregory Maloba argued that modernisation had been advantageous; hence it was unnecessary to cling to the mythologized past, while Sam Ntiro was a confirmed disciple of Trowell. The Slade supervised diploma, which came into being in 1953 confirmed Maloba’s point. When Cecil Todd took over the Art School in 1958, Makerere’s emphasis was already shifting towards a detailed consideration of technique and art history as an academic discipline, which Todd encouraged. However, this trend was criticised, as Uganda had just achieved independence in 1962; the intellectual climate resounded with debates about indigenisation. Against this ideological backdrop of cultural renewal and discovery, some artists returned to a version of Trowell’s philosophy of Africanising of art education. The promising political climate of the 1960s was soon replaced by repression and the civil war between 1971 and 1985. These conditions led to three important developments. Firstly, artists continued to create overtly political images, which expressed disgust for leaders. Secondly, new media like batik, better adapted to economies of scarcity, proliferated. Lastly, with shortage of imported materials and tools, artists investigated local materials under the influence of Francis Nnaggenda. Ironically, an art that utilised local themes and resources arose from the adversity of the 1970s, rather than the favourable climate of the 1960s. This can also be seen as the revival of the experimental art education pioneered by Elimo Njau also an early student of Trowell. The stability of the 1990s freed artists from investigating political issues and interest in the general themes of technique and design were revived. Fostering international links, and survival in a competitive art market, are pressing current concerns.
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    The renaissance of contemporary art at Makerere University Art School
    ( 2003-02) Kasule, Kizito Maria
    This study examined whether the 1960’s in relation to the 1950’s and 1970’s were a decade of the renaissance of contemporary art production at Makerere University Art School. The study had three specific objectives: (i.) To examine whether the period of 1960’s in relation to the 1950’s and 1970’s is seen by artists as the decade of the renaissance of contemporary art at Makerere University Art School. (ii.) To find out in which ways the 1960’s in relation to the 1950’s and 1970’s were a decade of the art of cultural consciousness among artists at Makerere Art School. (iii.) To find out how the different art teaching practices of both Margaret Trowell and Cecil Todd affected the growth of the art cultural consciousness at Makerere University Art School in 1960s. An exploratory survey design with both qualitative and quantitative procedures was used to gather data on 91 participants picked using purposive sampling. Qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis and quantitative data using percentages. The majority of the participants reported that the 1960’s in relation to the 1950’s and 1970’s were a decade of the renaissance of contemporary art at Makerere Art School. However, this renaissance had its origin in the 1950’s, reaching its maturity in the 1960’s. It was found out that despite the divergences in the art teaching practices of Cecil Todd and Margaret Trowell their teachings had a positive impact on the development of the art of cultural consciousness at Makerere Art School in the 1960s. The political independence movements of the 1960’s in Africa, the presence of different art students of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds, the presence of experienced and highly trained art teachers, and the availability of art materials stimulated the production of culturally conscious art at Makerere during the 1960’s. It was recommended that future scholars on art focus studies on the art productions of Makerere from the 1930’s to the 1940’s and from the 1980’s to the present. Further studies on the influence of politics, religion, and economics to the development of visual arts at Makerere should be done. Future researchers should look at other forms of art, which have not been included in this study. Future researchers should also focus their efforts towards finding out how contemporary art can be made more culturally conscious at Makerere in particular and Uganda in general in the 20th and 21st Centuries.
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    A unique complexity
    (Wits Art Galleries, 2004) Kakande, Angelo
    Kakande follows up the raptures, shifting boarders and radical transformations in Venda pottery. He examines how Venda potters respond to the competitive market by prducing un convetional forms rendered with creative animal and plant motifs.
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    Potential of public-private partnerships in road infrastructure development in Uganda.
    (Makerere University, 2005-09) Kagoda, Andrew Festus
    Lack of sufficient public funding to adequately develop and maintain the country’s road network is one reason why the government of Uganda is studying the prospect of using private finance initiatives as a way of bridging the funding gap. Several forms of Public – Private Partnerships (PPPs) already exist in other sectors within the country but no such initiatives are yet in place in the roads sub-sector in Uganda. Benefits attributed to the use of PPPs include acceleration of infrastructure provision, faster implementation, reduced whole life costs, better allocation of risk, better incentives to perform, improved quality of service, generation of additional revenues, and enhanced public management. The objective of this study was to delineate the concept of PPPs, identify prerequisites for their successful implementation in the road sector in Uganda, analyse the extent to which the success factors are in place, and to make recommendations for the successful implementation of the PPP framework in the road sector in Uganda. The study was a desk study that involved assessment of the roads sub-sector performance, the private sector capacity and the country framework/attractiveness to the private sector using interviews with selected experts and official reports available at government ministries and departments. A case study of a hypothetical project, Kampala (Kibuye) – Entebbe (Airport) Road II, was also used to investigate the financial viability of the PPP framework from a Project Finance point of view, using a toolkit developed by the World Bank. The study identified five success prerequisites for a PPP policy and scored their existence in Uganda at 72% on a measurement scale developed. The case study showed a positive project Net Present Value (NPV) and acceptable project economics ratios, from which could be concluded therefore, that some roads within the national road network have relatively high potential for success as Design, Build, Finance and Operate (DBFO) projects. Recommendations made from the study included: broadening of private sector participation in road infrastructure maintenance and development towards the PPP framework; deliberate domestic private sector capacity building; establishment of PPP policy and concession specific laws; creation of a government department for PPPs; and conducting appropriate personnel training and fact-finding tours.
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    A study of the impact of water supply network expansions on water network hydraulics: a case study of zone 8, Kampala Water
    (Makerere University, 2006-08) Nyende, Stephen
    The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in a drive to provide wide water supply coverage and to maximise profits has increased the number of customer connections through a massive network expansion. At the same time, service levels have drastically dropped, with customers receiving intermittent water supply, and in many cases, not at all. This background prompted this research with the chief aim of studying the hydraulic impact of the water supply network extensions. Specifically, the research was aimed at studying the effects of the expansions on pipe pressures, velocities and flows and suggest remedial measures; and recommend the extent to which extensions should be made in order to maintain satisfactory hydraulic properties. The methodology involved the assessment of the water supply situation before and after major extensions were made. Consumption patterns were generated from the block maps and water audits of the GIS records of Kampala Water. A simulation of the network was carried out using the EPANET-2 software. The modeling process involved data collection, system operation and monitoring, network schematization, model building, model testing and the analysis of the problem. Most notably, it was found that pressure zones are not well marked out and transmission mains were no longer functionally differentiated from distribution mains. Pressures were found to fall with more extensions being made. Head losses were also found to be high. Velocities and flows in the pipes reduced with more extensions. The conclusions drawn from the study show a strong relationship between the network extensions and the reduce service levels. Recommendations have therefore been made and include among others, carrying out careful hydraulic considerations before any extensions are made, encourage installation of tanks in consumer units to act as reservoirs, marking out and respecting hydraulic zones, maintaining the transmission mains intact, rationalizing the network and installing boosters where necessary.
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    Evaluation of quality management in construction of public buildings under the decentralized system: the case of Busia and Pallisa Districts of Uganda
    (Makerere University, 2007-06) Drici, Louis Ibiya
    Over the past few years, Local Governments in Uganda have constructed substantial quantities of public buildings in fulfilment of the Government's initiatives to develop its social infrastructure facilities. This study was prompted by the prevalent concerns of the public and local government Development partners about the supposedly substandard quality of the public buildings delivered by the local governments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the construction quality management practices employed, in an attempt to determine conformance to established standards, identify Deficiencies and propose suitable strategies for improvement. The study was carried out in the Local Governments of Busia and Pallisa. Organizations and institutions representing relevant Government Ministries, donor agencies and beneficiary communities as well as building contractors also formed part of the study. Questionnaire surveys And inspection reports formed the basis of the data for this study. The results of the study present a comparable pattern of quality achievement in the two districts, with79%of the public buildings not conforming to established quality standards. Factors that were found to bring about this scenario mainly arise from deficiencies in the quality systems and Practices used by the local government sand the private contractors, and to a lesser extent by the loopholes in the strategic approaches employed by the Government and funding agencies. Recommendations for improving and upholding the quality standards were made, including; recognition of the quality problem, provision for quality management costs, methods for establishing and upholding functional quality management systems and procedures, and the advancement of effective quality management techniques by the State and funding agencies.
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    The role of sculptural forms as a communication tool in lives and experiences of women with HIV/AIDS in Uganda
    (Newcastle University, 2007-07) Nabulime, Lilian Mary
    This study explores the use of sculpture, developed through research into the lives and experiences of Ugandan women living with HIV/AIDS, as a tool for raising awareness about the illness. It demonstrates how the research engendered two parallel outcomes: the development of new areas of sculptural practice and strategies of presentation and the practical application of these in communicating HIV/AIDS awareness to literate and illiterate people from diverse ethnic groups. The introductory discussion in Chapter 1 presents the research questions and the aims, significance, limitations and scope of the study. It establishes the background of sculptural practice in Uganda, characterises the work produced prior to the research and explains the reasons for undertaking the research in the United Kingdom. The impact of HIV/AIDS in Uganda is briefly indicated along with the factors which make women particularly susceptible to infection. Chapter 2 consists of a literature review covering existing discourse on issues of communication of HIV/AIDS awareness through contemporary art practice, mass media and practical initiatives in Uganda, other Africa countries and the West. It considers the range of visual materials and performative initiatives adopted in communicating HIV/AIDS awareness specifically in Uganda. A wider consideration of contemporary art indicates key aspects and artists informing the adoption of readymades, multi-part installations, multiples, actions and other new approaches in developing the sculptural work. Chapter 3 describes the initial development of sculptures generated from a personal experience of caring for people living with HIV/AIDS and analyses data gathered from a Pilot project in the UK. Further data from an HIV-Positive Women’s group and the thirteen HIV/AIDS organisations in Uganda was then analysed and more sculptures generated, from which one type was selected and taken back to Uganda for testing as described in Chapter 4. The results of field-testing in Uganda, presented in Chapter 4, reveal that sculpture could be an important medium through which to articulate issues concerning HIV/AIDS in a predominantly patriarchal, multi-ethnic society with high levels of illiteracy, especially among women. The use of sculptural works in this context is innovatory as hitherto sculpture has been disregarded as bulky, expensive and not easily reproduced. This research indicates that such drawbacks can be overcome, and that the particular visual and tactile properties of sculpture can bridge many divides. The thesis documents the issues explored during the development of the sculptures, and the Ugandan response to their use in facilitating the complex and culturally sensitive work of raising HIV/AIDS awareness as a potential contribution to prevention.
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    Better precipitation and evaporation estimate to improve Lake Victoria water balance
    (Makerere University, 2007-08) Mangeni, Bennie T.
    Lake Victoria and the Nile River with their catchments form the Nile Basin. Fluctuations in Lake Victoria water levels and its anomalous hydrological behavior affect the entire Nile basin water resources and their utilization. This makes it necessary to constantly monitor, predict and forecast the hydrological behavior of the lake. This is achieved using a water balance model. Existing models were not good enough for this task due to poor estimates of the model components. The objective of this research was therefore to improve the lake water balance model through better estimates of its components. This was done, through utilization of lake data and better methods in estimating the biggest water balance components of precipitation and evaporation, whose earlier poor estimates had been blamed for the model shortcomings. The precipitation and evaporation were evaluated by interpolation and the Combined Penman equation respectively. That these were better component estimates was deduced from the final model improvement and the favorable comparisons of the component estimates with results of precipitation and evaporation from isotope sampling studies of the lake. In addition, for the first time, satellite data was used with the Split Window Technique (SWT) to assess possible groundwater contribution to the lake water balance. The groundwater studies were inconclusive but will provide a way forward in determining the groundwater contribution which might be the missing link in the lake water balance model. The better precipitation and evaporation estimates resulted in an improved lake model in which the discrepancy between inflow and outflow was reduced to 50% of the original value. This was a remarkable achievement. When the groundwater contribution is ascertained, a much better model will be obtained. For this purpose it is recommended that the traditional well and piezometer convetional techniques be employed in further groundwater investigations in those littoral parts of the lake where interaction between groundwater and lake water was identified in an attempt to quantify the groundwater contribution. More research is needed to explore use of satellite data in estimating lake precipitation and evaporation to further improve the model.
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    Evaluation of contract management practices of road rehabilitation and maintenance works in Kanungu, Rukungiri and Kabale Districts
    (Makerere University, 2007-09) Magezi, Benon Denis
    Road maintenance and rehabilitation in Uganda is a quite complicated undertaking involving different stakeholders including donors, central and local governments, professionals and non professionals. Before this study, it had generally been observed that in spite of all the efforts rendered by the above stakeholders, roads which would be rehabilitated or upgraded would deteriorate shortly after such costly interventions the factor that was attributed to poor contract management practices in road rehabilitation and maintenance works. It was against this background that this study was undertaken with the objective of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of managing the contracts for road rehabilitation and maintenance works. The districts of Kanungu, Rukungiri and Kabale in Southwestern Uganda were selected as a study area. The study used quantitative descriptive methods and was evaluative in nature. It reviewed road maintenance and rehabilitation contracts in the financial years of 2002/03, 2003/04 and 2004/05 by looking at the road inventory, financing history of road related works, performance history of the road network, the contract management practices that is; procurement, documentation, supervision and monitoring, certification, quality management and mainstreaming of cross cutting issues. Data was collected using questionnaires administered by interviews and analyzed by MS Excel and SPSS 10.0 for windows soft ware. From the study it was established that; road maintenance and rehabilitation interventions in the study area were very poorly funded and hence partly a reason for the poor state of the roads and high rates of deterioration. In spite of poor quality management practices and limited compliancy to mainstreaming of cross cutting issues of gender, environment and work place health and safety, some good contract management practices were adhered to. In addition, road condition in the study area was affected by limited capacity of contractors, poor terrain of the area and political interference. It is therefore recommended that; the contract managers should address contract management gaps in quality management and mainstreaming of crosscutting issues and in addition the Ministry of Works and Transport should review and increase the funding for road maintenance and rehabilitation works.
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    Exploring wild animals as a subject using the relief printmaking technique.
    (Makerere University, 2008) Wamala, Namulindwa Juliet
    The research was intended to demonstrate the potential of wild animals as a subject for relief printing by producing a variety of both utilitarian and aesthetic relief prints .The study objectives were to: Demonstrate the potential of wild animals as a source of inspiration for quality and diverse subject matter in relief printing; Expose the diverse possibilities some animals can offer to relief print makers in generation of original ideas for other printing techniques; and Document some of the endangered animal species for the posterity. The study was cross- sectional and practical in nature, as it undertook a cross-section of animals for inspiration. Both qualitative and quantitative means of data management were used. The researcher purposively sampled stake-holders in the printing field for the human population and animals in Kabalega National park and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) for the non human population. From the findings and the respective discussions, it was concluded that wild animals were to a great extent successfully used as a subject for relief printmaking. The work undertaken was diverse in subject matter; the research exposed the possibility of using relief printmaking to produce original ideas for other printing techniques. Lastly, some of the endangered animal species were documented for the posterity. It was thus recommended that: First, that printmakers presented the animal subject matter to another level of creativity. That is, from a mere elementary interpretation of the animals to where the subject matter provides a variety of sources of inspiration in terms of elements and principles of art. Secondly, a comparative study of wild animals for any printmaking technique could form a subject matter of a rich and informative research. The reptiles for example are rich in design elements but were left out. Thirdly, further exploring in the area of producing original motifs for textile printing and aesthetic prints for decorative wall hangings by other researchers was possible. Fourthly, there were various printmaking techniques that could be used as a medium of expression in printmaking by future researchers. Fifthly, it was possible to execute a print using various body shapes and patterns of animals using a particular color at its full intensity in conjunction with its shades and tints. Lastly, it further made recommendations to future researchers by taking the form of collateral applications of wild animal images to a variety of surfaces.
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    Pioneer Makerere Masters
    (Mkuki na Nyota, 2008) Keyune, George
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    The effect of environmental factors and traffic volume on the performance of low-volume labour-based roads
    (Makerere University, 2008-08) Were-Higenyi, Frederick Millan
    In road works labour-based technology refers to the appropriate and efficient use of labour in construction and maintenance, with equipment only playing a supportive role. The technical specifications related to the technology were developed and modified to suit efficiency and safety requirements in the utilisation of labour. However, lack of road deterioration relationships to determine performance and improve the specifications and designs is still a problem. The objective of this research was to study influence of the environment and traffic factors on the performance of unpaved low-volume labour-based roads in Uganda. The research methodology included review of the existing literature, road condition surveys and material sampling and testing, performance-monitoring on labour-based roads for 2.5 years and development of road deterioration models. This research established that roughness index is a function of traffic volume, dust ratio of wearing course, rainfall and road geometry. The rate of gravel loss is a function of traffic volume, rainfall and plasticity product, dust ratio and grading modulus of wearing course. The IRI roughness index is 6.1 m/km and rate of gravel loss is 15.3 mm per year for the low-volume roads. It was further established that the annual gravel loss due to environment effects is 15.2 mm for low plasticity gravels and 11.5 mm for high plasticity gravels. Further analysis established that road deterioration can be estimated by the HDM-4 Model using calibration factors of 0.44 for roughness and 0.97 for gravel loss. In conclusion the research achieved its objective by developing road deterioration relationships which can be used to improve designs, specifications and determination of maintenance standards for low-volume labour-based roads. However, it is recommended that further research could be undertaken to model the effect of more climatic factors (precipitation, evapo-transpiration and storage capacity of the soils) not covered under this research.
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    The formation of contemporary visual artists in Africa: Revisiting residency programmes.
    (Makerere University, 2008-09) Kirumira, Namubiru Rose
    Appreciation of African visual artists’ background in artistic theory, its application and criticism, artists’ quality of experience and their level of artistic knowledge and competencies are critical factors in measuring the artists’ ability for self positioning internationally. This includes the role, position and impact they have on local and international artistic practice. Professional development to enable versatility requires that artists benefit from multiple avenues of education and that formation spaces provide for integrated approaches to learning including constructivist methods. Objectives of the study included: investigating the nature, content and structure of Triangle artists’ workshops, examining the function of their environment in directing the artists’ creative experience, and investigating ways in which and to what extent individual artists’ responses to these residencies redefine the formation of visual artists and art in Africa. The question raised was whether the artists’ residency has developed qualities that qualify it as a supportive learning space which can contribute to the development of African visual artists’ formation. The study focused on the evolving African visual art scene: activities, needs and role of the artists within their communities to establish whether the residency space can contribute to and redefine the formation process of artists in Africa. The findings contribute to the understanding and fostering of the African visual artists’ competence to deal with the creative transitions in the visual arts. The study employed qualitative case study and phenomenological approaches to art and design. Two cases of international artists’ residential workshops in Africa that are part of the Triangle International Artists Network, Thupelo in South Africa and Insaka in Zambia were studied, focusing on the period between 1985-2006 where significant global activities and contributions including artists’ residencies featured in the progress of African visual artists. An examination of the three-week working residential workshops, which host 25-30 national, African and international visual artists, was aimed at discovering their ability to engage the artists in the residency. Thus the residency was evaluated as a formation space for contemporary African visual artists: and how it affects their versatility. Three viable requirements were established which formation programmes need be aware of: the characteristics, performance and circumstances of contemporary African visual artists. The residency space was a case upon which the study built an understanding of the formation process and development of a multi-perspective framework to inform practice. It emerged that artists in the residency appreciated the opportunity to ‘contribute and benefit’ within the varied space by producing artworks, holding internal group discussions, exploring their working environment and the community. The case studies demonstrated the importance of networks as a support mechanism in the formation process illustrating the importance of peer participation and reference, the interrogation of ideas, methods and values in a formation space. African visual artist need new knowledge and competencies to combat challenges such as collating artistic knowledge and skills and accessing exposure during practice. Three issues were established that enhance the development of artists while they are experiencing the residency space. The first was accessing developments in technology, then establishment of artistic values for appreciation and application, and participation, and lastly, in valuing and appreciating African (their own) art the artists promote themselves and their art. Four benefits accruing from experiencing the residency space are proposed to be critical in the formation of contemporary African visual artists: self-confidence, self-discovery, competitiveness and networking. The four qualities are crucial, for example, if the artists are going to challenge existing boundaries in terms of philosophies and methods. Secondly, those qualities depend on a combination of several variables to enable versatility. However, by assuring socio-cultural and education diversity, peer interaction and productivity a network may act as a conduit for versatility. This research acknowledges that it is not an either/or discourse but which combination within formation maximizes knowledge and skills acquisition.
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    Exploration and symbolic interpretation of alternative printing surfaces using the serigraphic printing technique.
    (Makerere University, 2008-10) Nabaggala, Justine
    The contemporary industrial world today provides a variety of printing surfaces, for example, glass, biscuit –fired clay slabs, stone slates, plastic, acrylic boards, and other synthetic materials which have not been effectively and seriously explored as alternative surfaces for printmaking. Yet many of them are in abundance and rich in terms of surface quality that can enhance the quality of fine art prints. As a trainer of teacher-trainees for secondary schools, and former trainee both at the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Arts, Makerere University, and at the Department of Art and Industrial Design, Kyambogo University, it was my observation that whereas the course content in each of the two institutions of higher learning is open to the employment of various printing surfaces, the artworks produced in printmaking are predominantly being executed on conventional surfaces like paper, cloth and wood. This study practically explores how alternative surfaces like glass, clay slabs, stone slates, plastic, acrylic boards, and other synthetic materials can extend the printmaking experience, and the way of looking at prints in relation to societal needs and issues on identity. The themes explored in this study visually interrogate the lost moral values within society and attempt to address the unpleasant social and political life in Uganda, using the medium of serigraphy commonly referred to as screen-printmaking. An exploratory survey design was used for this study and the research data collection methods used included: library and archival survey, empirical observation, an d studio experiments. Major findings of the study highlight the potential of alternative surfaces, besides paper and cloth. With the current need for diversity in printmaking efforts to explore the potential of alternative surfaces is paramount.
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    Development of a decision support tool for certification of road contracts in Uganda: a case study of the Central Region
    (Makerere University, 2008-10) Ssembatya, Patrick
    This dissertation entails information about a Master’s Research work in Construction Management on Development of a Decision Support Tool (DST) for Certification of Road contracts in Uganda. The researcher undertook an analysis of the contract deficiencies in five Central districts and to design a DST emphasizing a knowledge management perspective to facilitate decision making in certification practices and hence improve on the effectiveness in contract administration and management. The five districts selected at random were Kampala, Luwero, Mpigi, Mukono and Wakiso. They were investigated and data on contract deficiencies on roads was collected to find out the response rate on each of the deficiency. This data was supplemented by interviews and focused discussions with some key district personnel. The research was done in two phases which included desk research and field objective research. The desk research involved publications, Journals and Magazines on Contract management. The descriptive technique was adopted to develop a management system for the certification practices in Uganda. The developed system was configured into a computer program using a php scripting language and with MySQL Database at the back end. The developed model was tested on real world data and test results showed that the system output is consistent with what would be achieved if the decisions were taken from a personnal judgment. However, the system showed that a better accurate and timely solution would be given. Therefore, the developed DST would go along way in addressing the need for an automated certification practice not only in the central region but it can also be adopted for other regions in the country.
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    Development of a decision support tool for certification of road contracts in Uganda: A case study of the Central Region.
    (Makerere University, 2008-10) Ssembatya, Patrick
    This dissertation entails information about a Master’s Research work in Construction Management on Development of a Decision Support Tool (DST) for Certification of Road contracts in Uganda. The researcher undertook an analysis of the contract deficiencies in five Central districts and to design a DST emphasizing a knowledge management perspective to facilitate decision making in certification practices and hence improve on the effectiveness in contract administration and management. The five districts selected at random were Kampala, Luwero, Mpigi, Mukono and Wakiso. They were investigated and data on contract deficiencies on roads was collected to find out the response rate on each of the deficiency. This data was supplemented by interviews and focused discussions with some key district personnel. The research was done in two phases which included desk research and field objective research. The desk research involved publications, Journals and Magazines on Contract management. The descriptive technique was adopted to develop a management system for the certification practices in Uganda. The developed system was configured into a computer program using a php scripting language and with MySQL Database at the back end. The developed model was tested on real world data and test results showed that the system output is consistent with what would be achieved if the decisions were taken from a personnal judgment. However, the system showed that a better accurate and timely solution would be given. Therefore, the developed DST would go along way in addressing the need for an automated certification practice not only in the central region but it can also be adopted for other regions in the country.
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    An investigation of the performance of laterite in flexible pavements in a humid tropical environment
    (Makerere University, 2008-12) Odongo, Michael Moses
    Self-hardening of laterite especially within pavement layers is still an enigmatic subject to engineers and researchers. Being a pedogenic concretionary soil commonly used in the construction of some layers in flexible pavements in the tropics, self-hardening has great significance towards its engineering value and associated selection standards. Sesquioxide-enrichment of its fabric is thought to be responsible for this phenomenon though existing knowledge about its occurrence is still inconclusive. The general objective of the research was to study the phenomenon in Ugandan laterites in pavement layers in a humid tropical setting and determine its implications on material selection standards. The study methods were literature review, questionnaire surveys and experimentations. The experimentation method involved fieldwork to measure performance of the material in tests roads and laboratory tests on laterite samples. It was found out that self-hardening in Ugandan laterites was possible only in the immature classes such as plinthites especially when formed under distinctive tropical conditions of alternating wet and dry seasons. Such conditions exist in northern Uganda where one test road was established. However, the performance of the immature classes of the material in road pavements entailed serious performance defects. Such classes of laterite are unsuitable for pavement works. The effect of the insitu pedogenic process was evident in the particle size grading of most classes of the materials and to some extent, plasticity characteristics. The clay fraction affinity for sesquioxides through particle impregnation and nodulation converted a significant fraction of the clay fraction into pseudo-silts and pseudo-sands. This altered the grading and some plasticity characteristics of the materials but not strength. The effects of seasonal factors of climate and traffic were found to mask any self-hardening that the material may undergo. It was concluded that self-hardening in Ugandan laterites is not significant enough to warrant substantial revision of material selection specifications. The research accordingly recommended augmentation of existing selection specification through incorporation of specific gravity as a criterion and revision of expression for grading coefficient. Recognising the limitations of time and resources experienced, further areas of research have been proposed.