Why we need more research into sex work in Uganda

Stigma and high rates of HIV/AIDS among sex workers in Uganda highlight the need to understand further the reasons why people enter the profession. Researcher Robin Oryem describes the gap between his understanding of sex work growing up in Gulu, Uganda, and how his research interviews overturned previously held views

Xenophobia and behavioural responses to COVID-19 in Uganda

COVID-19 has been portrayed internationally as a disease more dangerous than Ebola. In Uganda this has created fear among various communities, specifically in the north of the country, where the memory of Ebola remains present. A consequence of the outbreak is reported xenophobia and rumours the epidemic is spread by the rich. Robin Oryem reports from experience on the ground and the role of behavioural change in preventing the disease’s spread

Crisis responses, opportunity, and public authority during Covid-19's first wave in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and South Sudan.

Funder: Knowledge FrontiersDiscussions on African responses to Covid-19 have focused on the state and its international backers. Far less is known about a wider range of public authorities, including chiefs, humanitarians, criminal gangs, and armed groups. This paper investigates how the pandemic provided opportunities for claims to and contests over power in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan. Ethnographic research is used to contend that local forms of public authority can be akin to miniature sovereigns, able to interpret dictates, policies, and advice as required. Alongside coping with existing complex protracted emergencies, many try to advance their own agendas and secure benefits. Those they seek to govern, though, do not passively accept the new normal, instead often challenging those in positions of influence. This paper assesses which of these actions and reactions will have lasting effects on local notions of statehood and argues for a public authorities lens in times of crisis