KIU Main Campus, PhD candidate Atukwatse Judith from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) on Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 offered a PhD defense, also known as a Viva Voce presentation, on Resource Allocation and Refugee Host Community Conflicts in Western.

Atukwatse's study which was held both Physically and online sought to investigate how resource allocation contributes to conflicts among refugees and host communities in western Uganda, specifically in Nakivale and Oruchinga.

The study, anchored on two theories; conflict theory and the socio-identity theory of intergroup behavior found out that;

The most probable causes of conflicts between the refugees and the host communities is inadequate consultation with the host communities prior to the establishment of refugee camps and settlements, and insufficient water sources to meet the needs of the refugees and host communities for their livelihood, agriculture, and livestock.

It also found out that cash handout initiatives to refugees is seen as a way of creating classes and caused conflicts between the refugees and host communities.

The study recommends that resource allocation in settlement areas should not only focus on refugees but also consider the welfare of the hosting communities for conflicts to be minimized between refugees and the host community and, examining.