PhD Defence Abstract – Elias Nuwagaba

This study explored the role of urban farming in enhancing sustainable urban livelihoods within Mbarara City, Western Uganda. It aimed at examining the contribution of urban farming to sustainable urban livelihoods in Mbarara City; analyzed how urban infrastructural development has affected urban farming and sustainable livelihoods in Mbarara City; evaluated key constraints to urban farming and sustainable livelihoods in Mbarara City and suggested mechanisms of addressing the above gaps. The qualitative research method was adopted using ontology as the underlying study philosophy. It employed a qualitative research approach, involving in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observations. Suitable software for data included QDA Miner Lite, NVivo, Atlas ti, Quirkos, and Monkey Learn. Urban farming is advocated as an essential livelihood strategy in Mbarara City while rapid urbanization threatens food security by reducing available farmland; it has integrated rural towns and villages into the city without clear planning and design hence massive displacement of people due to infrastructural development, new zoning and physical planning policies and even attraction of new migrants due to rural urban migration and creation of new economic opportunities.