Thread by @WhiteheadComm

The results are out!!

Thanks to everyone who completed this Public Opinion survey on the Impact of Covid-19 in Uganda.

Here is a summary. 👇 Let me share a ka small thread here to delve into the details and methodology. #Covid19UG

1st of all, we used a mixed methodology to collect 1,353 responses, then narrowed it down to 1,182 by removing incomplete surveys & those from outside Uganda.

This really moved on Twitter, which is not representative of Ug, so we also made calls upcountry. See our sample here.👇

We asked people about their media consumption.

72% of respondents were hearing about Covid-19 at least once every day.

The most common type of media our respondents were exposed to was TV, which corresponds to other studies (see footnotes). Keep in mind Twitter is over-sampled.

The majority of respondents in Uganda (78%) fear Covid-19 LESS now than they did in March.

People do not seem to be on the same page about how seriously to apply public health directives like physical distancing, hand washing and mask wearing.

80% of our respondents did NOT receive Government's food relief of posho and beans during the lockdown (this falls to 75% when looking only at respondents in the area of Kampala).

The level of satisfaction was mixed.

The vast majority of respondents (92%) tuned in for at least one #M7Address on #Covid19UG.

Most (70%) found these Presidential addresses helpful.

75% of respondents said they approved of the Government of Uganda's decision to lockdown the country in March.

Only 41% approve of the curfew measures still imposed by Ugandan authorities in July.

63% disapproved of the way that @nssfug responded to the Covid-19 crisis.

However, 22% if respondents neither approved nor disapproved and 14% approved of the NSSF response.

Disapproval was stronger in the area of Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono than the rest of the country.

Now for the economic impact of #Covid19UG...

1st, here is another look at our sample. We've accounted for the employment situation and monthly expenditure of our respondents to give an idea of the financial bandwidth they're working within as they manage the economic shock. 👇

Only 21% of respondents in UG said their employment situation was unaffected by #Covid19

19% lost their jobs
31% work hour reduced
6% work hour increased
26% pay reduced
1% pay increased
23% worried they may lose job/business
25% worked from home

Note demographic differences.👇

Not to put too fine a point on this, but sample size & representation matters.

It's interesting that women & people upcountry report losing jobs more, & people in the urban centre work from home more, but when we break down the sample smaller, the margin of error increases.

Only 18% of respondents in Uganda said they were managing fine with no financial difficulties.

60% spent from their savings
51% reduced their spending
26% failed to pay back debt as planned
22% took on more debt
12% sold assets
23% missed meals because of #Covid19UG

36% of respondents think it will take more than a year before life goes back to normal in Uganda
24% think it may take 3 to 6 months
7% less than 3 months
5% never
3% feel life is already back to normal
25% don't know

*Apologies, error in this question missing 6-12 months option

Interesting results on changes in transportation habits in Uganda between March and July!

85% reduction in boda usage
47% reduction in taxi/matatu usage
187% increase in walking
175% increase in bicycles

Use of private cars in March vs. July was the same at 34% of respondents.

Q: "How much do you approve of the Government of Uganda's plan to hold a scientific election?"

44% Strongly disapprove
20% Disapprove
12% Neither approve nor disapprove / not sure
10% Approve
6% Strongly approve
9% Do not know what a "scientific election" means

#Covid19UG

Q: "Do you think the next Ugandan election should be held as scheduled or postponed?"

52% Postpone the election

42% Hold the election as scheduled

5% Other (Please specify)

#Covid19UG

This survey employed a mixed methodology, both online & phone calls. Results include 1,182 completed surveys from across Uganda.

66% of respondents were in Kampala, Wakiso or Mukono
64% were male
54% were aged 25 - 34
72% were university educated

(Not 100% representative of UG)

End notes / further reading:

GeoPoll. Coronavirus’ Impact On Media Consumption In Uganda (2020). Available at: geopoll.com/blog/coronavir…

IPSOS. Responding to COVID-19: Highlights of a Survey in UGANDA (2020). Available at: ipsos.com/sites/default/…

End notes / further reading:

@cipesaug. The National Information Technology Survey @NITAUganda1 2017/18 (2018). Available at: nita.go.ug/sites/default/…

@BBC Media Action. Uganda Media Landscape (2019).
Available at: communityengagementhub.org/wp-content/upl…

End notes / further reading:

Mahmud and Riley. Household response to an extreme shock: Evidence on the immediate impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on economic outcomes and well-being in rural Uganda (2020). Available at: emmaalriley.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/rtv_co…

End notes / further reading:

@twaweza_uganda. Livelihoods under Covid-19: #1 livelihoods and inequality (2020). Available at: twaweza.org/uploads/files/…

43% Hold the election as scheduled *