Title: The transactional turn in Ugandan parliamentary politics: causes and consequences
Authors: Dr. Arinaitwe Julius
Dr. Twinomujuni Rosebell
Dr. Mategeko Betty
Volume: 10
Issue: 7
Pages: 610-619
Publication Date: 2026/07/28
Abstract:
Uganda's return to multiparty politics in 2005 was accompanied by a discernible shift from ideologically anchored representation toward what this study terms the "transactional turn" - a mode of political engagement in which access to, and retention of, parliamentary office is increasingly mediated by material exchange rather than programmatic appeal. Grounded partly in the ethical concerns of stewardship and integrity emphasised within Christian social thought, this study examined the causes and consequences of this transactional turn among citizens in four Ugandan regions. A cross-sectional quantitative design was employed, drawing a stratified random sample of 412 registered voters from Central, Eastern, Northern, and Western Uganda. A structured questionnaire captured socio-demographic characteristics, a binary indicator of engagement in transactional political exchange, and Likert-scaled composite constructs measuring perceived causes, perceived consequences, political trust, poverty vulnerability, and religiosity. Data were analysed using univariate statistics, bivariate chi-square tests of independence, and multivariable binary logistic regression. Overall, 12.4% of respondents reported having engaged in a transactional political exchange in the most recent electoral cycle, with prevalence significantly higher among respondents in Northern Uganda (22.1%) and among female respondents (16.0%) at the bivariate level (p = 0.022 and p = 0.044 respectively). Multivariable logistic regression identified political trust (AOR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.27-0.64, p < 0.001) and religiosity (AOR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.35-0.93, p = 0.025) as significant independent protective factors against transactional engagement, while poverty vulnerability approached significance (AOR = 1.40, p = 0.100) as a risk factor. The final model correctly classified 87.1% of cases (McFadden's pseudo Rē = 0.107). The study concludes that the transactional turn in Ugandan parliamentary politics is driven less by demographic circumstance than by the erosion of institutional trust and normative restraint, with poverty acting as an enabling rather than determining condition. It recommends investment in civic and values-based voter education, strengthening of political party institutionalization, and stricter enforcement of campaign finance regulation.