Abstract
This study examined the relationship between on-the-job training practices and staff retention among health workers in Kasese District Local Government. The study was guided by four specific objectives: to examine the relationship between mentorship and staff retention, to assess the relationship between orientation and staff retention, and to determine the relationship between delegation and staff retention among health workers. The study was anchored on the Human Capital Theory. The study adopted a mixed-methods research design using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. A total of 201 health workers participated in the study, selected from health facilities within Kasese District Local Government. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires, while qualitative data were obtained through key informant interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and multiple linear regression analysis, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The study found that mentorship, orientation, and delegation had positive and statistically significant influences on staff retention. Mentorship explained 55.1% of the variation in staff retention (R² = 0.551, p < 0.001), orientation explained 53.7% (R² = 0.537, p= 0.000<0.05), and delegation explained 53.4% (R² = 0.531, p=0.000 < 0.05). When combined, the three practices explained 61.0% of the variation in staff retention as a result of mentorship, orientation, and delegation (R² = 0.610, p = 0.000 <0.05). The study concluded that mentorship, orientation, and delegation are important factors in improving staff retention. Mentorship had the strongest influence, followed by delegation and orientation, while the three practices jointly explained 61.0% of the variation in staff retention. The study recommends that Kasese District Local Government, through the District Health Officer and Human Resource Department, should strengthen on-the-job training practices by establishing structured mentorship programmes, standardising orientation for newly recruited health workers, and promoting effective delegation of duties and decision-making. The district should provide clear guidelines, allocate adequate time and resources for these activities, and regularly monitor their implementation. The Human Resource Department should also integrate on-the-job training activities into annual plans and budgets and establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess their effectiveness in improving staff retention.