The Dean School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University invites you to be part of the PhD defense detailed below:
PhD Candidate: Mr. Maxwell Clovice Kamanyire
PhD Thesis Title: “Rural Electrification and Household Socio-Economic Outcomes: Evidence from Central Uganda”
Date: Monday 25th August 2025 at 09:00 am (East African Time)
Supervisors: Associate Professor Fred Matovu and Dr. Paul Wabiga
Abstract:
Access to electricity is vital for a country's socioeconomic transformation and social well-being. However, evidence on this topic is limited, especially in developing economies, hindering effective policy and investment. Uganda has increased electricity access from 10% in 2010 to 47.1% in 2022, but connections remain low at 24%, far below the Vision 2040 target of 80%. This raises questions about the factors influencing household demand for electricity connections. Even in rural areas that were once marginalised but are now connected, the transformative effects are not well-documented.
This study aimed to achieve three specific objectives: (i) identify the determinants of demand for rural grid electricity connections; (ii) examine the impact of rural electrification on household business startups; and (iii) Assess the impact of rural electrification on women's economic empowerment. To address the first objective, a logit model was estimated using cross-sectional survey data from 932 households in central Uganda (Kalungu, Kayunga, Mukono, Mityana, and Wakiso) collected in February and March 2023. Findings show that the likelihood of obtaining an electricity connection increases with shorter distances to the grid, higher economic status of wives, village access to electricity, higher household income, bigger houses, knowledge of electrification, SACCO membership and ownership of electric appliances. Policy recommendations include enhancing household income and expanding the rural electrification program.
The second objective examines the impact of electrification on business startups through three channels: rural electrification, power access from any source, and grid connection using the inverse probability weighted regression adjustment estimation. Results indicate that rural electrification significantly enhances household business startups across all channels and promotes entertainment and other service-related business than manufacturing and processing at household level. Therefore, expanding electrification in villages can promote business creation but, redesigning rural electrification for manufacturing and processing would yield more benefits to the rural economy. For the third objective propensity score matching is employed on experimental data, revealing that rural electrification significantly boosts women's economic empowerment by enhancing their bargaining power and control over resources. Policies aimed at empowering women could strategically leverage electrification as a pivotal factor in enhancing household welfare and promoting inclusivity in Uganda.