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Our Team

Nairobi

Mark Bradbury

Mark Bradbury

Executive Director

Mark Bradbury is a social analyst with over 20 years’ experience in international development and humanitarian aid. He has worked in and written about Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan, South Sudan, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, and Kosovo as a development worker and researcher. He is author of Becoming Somaliland (Indianapolis, Indiana University Press, 2008). He was the RVI Regional Director for the Horn of Africa and East Africa from 2012–2016, and is the RVI Executive Director since January 2017.

Amina Abdulkadir

Amina Abdulkadir

Programme Officer

Amina is the Programme Officer for the Rift Valley Forum and the Research Communities of Practice project. She has experience in strategic communications, having worked as a Communications Officer and Media Liaison Officer for local NGOs operating in Kenya and Somalia before joining RVI. She holds a BA in Development Communications and MA in International Conflict Management from the University of Nairobi.

Benedict Keya

Benedict Keya

Head of Finance and Operations

Benedict joined RVI as Head of Finance and Operations in June 2018. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree, specialising in Strategic Management, as well as a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, Accounting option. He is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Prior to joining RVI, he was the Grants Manager-Finance at the Somalia Stability Fund, a multi-donor fund managed by Adam Smith International Ltd. Benedict has previously held various finance and audit roles at Deloitte and Touche, Mumias Sugar Company Ltd and PwC Kenya.

Liz Mahiri

Liz Mahiri

Communications, IT and Knowledge Management Officer

Liz Mahiri is the Communications, IT and Knowledge Management Officer at the Rift Valley Institute. Previously, she was the Programme Officer for Education. Before coming to RVI, Liz was the editor for Ghetto Mirror, a newspaper that focuses on social, political, and economic issues in informal settlements. She trained slum youth in journalistic writing and photography and empowered them to design and produce high-quality media material. She holds a BA in International Studies from Kenyon College in Ohio.

Najma Abukar

Najma Abukar

Research Lead, Somali Dialogue Platform

Najma is a Research Lead at RVI and works on the Somali Dialogue Platform. She previously worked in the international development and humanitarian sector, conducting research on a wide range of thematic areas including conflict, climate change and migration. Najma holds a master’s degree in Humanitarian Action and Conflict and bachelor’s degree in Law. 

Nancy Njeri

Nancy Njeri

Finance and Administration Officer, Somalia Dialogue Platform

Nancy Joined RVI in June 2021, after having worked as an Accountant in the corporate world for fourteen years. She holds a Masters degree in Business Administration (Strategic Management), Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) from University of Nairobi; and is a Certified Public Accountant (ICPAK member number 16771).

Richard Mbui
Richard Mbui

Richard Mbui

Finance and Administration Officer

Richard joined RVI in February 2016, after working in the commercial sector for seven years as an accountant. He holds a Bachelor of Finance degree from Strathmore University, Nairobi, and is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Sylvia Kitema
Sylvia Kitema

Sylvia Kitema

Finance Manager

Sylvia Kitema is the Finance Manager at the Rift Valley Institute, Nairobi. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and a Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (CPA-K) II degree.

Amleset Tewodros

Amleset Tewodros

Head of Organisational Development

Amleset works to ensure RVI is professionally run, and organisationally sound. She supports the growth of RVI’s regional presence by cultivating a working environment in which staff are working for a common purpose, are supported to realize their professional potential, and can deliver high-quality programmes that contribute to organisational goals. Amleset brings over two decades of senior leadership experience from international humanitarian and development organisations including the UN in programme, policy and advocacy work.  She has lived and worked in several Eastern and Horn of African countries.

Hafsa Hayat

Hafsa Hayat

Grants Officer - Somali Dialogue Platform

Hafsa works as the Grants Officer in the Somali Dialogue Platform. She has previously worked in the International Community in project management and implementation, particularly in development, stabilization as well as conflict. Hafsa holds a bachelor’s degree in International relations and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Organisational Development.

Geoffrey Lugano

Geoffrey Lugano

Research Training Manager

Geoffrey Lugano is the Research Training Manager at the Rift Valley Institute (RVI). Geoffrey holds a PhD in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom (UK), Msc in Governance & Development from the University of Antwerp, Belgium (with Distinction) and a Bachelor of Arts in Political studies from Kenyatta University (First Class Honours). Geoffrey has additional training in qualitative & multimethod research from the Institute for Qualitative & Multimethod Research (IQMR) at Syracuse University, New York, United States. Geoffrey has over 5 years of teaching experience in the Kenyan public university sector, and over 10 years of consulting experience for many local and international organizations on governance, political economy analysis, conflict and international criminal justice. Geoffrey’s research has been published in the International Journal of Transitional Justice, Peacebuilding Journal, the African Journal of International Criminal Justice and other non-academic outlets across the globe.

Fatuma Abdishukri

Fatuma Abdishukri

Programme Officer - Peace Research Facility

Fatuma Abdishukri is the Programme Officer for RVI’s Peace Research Facility. She previously was RVI’s Courses and Forums Programme Officer. Fatuma holds a Bachelor in International Relations with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies.

Michael Odhiambo

Michael Odhiambo

Head of Programmes

Michael Odhiambo joined RVI as the Head of Programmes in January 2024. He brings to the role many years of experience in programme development, policy research and analysis, training and mentoring, institutional capacity building and monitoring and evaluation. Trained in law, Michael was an Advocate at the High Court of Kenya for over a decade before becoming a researcher, policy specialist and advocate on land rights and governance, natural resource management and rural development. Michael was a founder and National Coordinator of the Kenya Land Alliance, a founder and Executive Director of the Resource Conflict Institute (RECONCILE), and the CEO of the Drylands Learning and Capacity Building Initiative (DLCI). For two decades Michael has worked extensively in East Africa, the Horn of Africa, South Sudan and Sudan as a highly respected and sought after researcher and advisor on land, sustainable natural resource management and climate change. In his career Michael has worked with UN agencies, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the AU, IGAD and numerous national and international NGOs. 

Joel Otieno

Joel Otieno

Programme Manager, XCEPT

Joel is a conflict and fragility specialist with a passion for rethinking conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and sustainable development through research, knowledge translation and strategic engagement for policy and practice. He is currently leading the coordination and implementation of the Cross Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends (XCEPT) as the Project Manager.  Prior to joining RVI, Joel was a Senior Programme Officer – Research and Policy at the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) where he worked for 2 years to oversee implementation and management of several projects. Previously, he also worked with Horn Institute as a researcher within the Conflict, Security and Peacebuilding Worktreams; Amref Health Africa; and Masinde Muliro Univerity of Science and Technology.

He holds a Master’s degree in International Peace Studies (Distinction) from Liverpool Hope University, a Bachelors in Conflict Resolution and Humanitarian Assistance (First Class) from Masinde Muliro Univerity, and a Professional Certificate (ProCert) in Public Policy Analysis from London School of Economics and Political Science.

Juba

Mimi Bior
Mimi Bior

Mimi Bior

Programme Officer, South Sudan

With several years of work experience both in the UK and South Sudan, Mimi has worked in the fields of media and marketing, cultural exchange, gender analysis, project implementation and communications. Before joining RVI in February 2018, Mimi worked as a consultant and recently developed the national five-year strategy (2018-2022) to tackle the multiple social, cultural and economic barriers that affect girls’ education in South Sudan. She holds a BA (Hons) in Marketing and an MBA from the University of the West of England, Bristol.

Benjamin Deng

Benjamin Deng

Finance and Administration Officer - Juba Office

Ben joined RVI in March 2022 and has 5 years of experience with different international organizations as an accountant. He holds a Diploma in Banking and Finance and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration

Jacquelyn Kunz

Jacquelyn Kunz

Head of Office - South Sudan

Jacquelyn Kunz is an education strategist with over 10 years of experience in international education development and project management. She has worked in Sudan and the West Bank as well as led several pilot projects across the MENA region. She has most recently spent over 8 years working in different educational fields in Sudan with a primary focus on teacher training and addressing capacity gaps in low resource contexts. 

Jacquelyn is also an avid traveller. This unique perspective enriches her approach to development, enabling her to bridge cultural gaps and cultivate inclusive learning experiences.

Jacquelyn holds a BA in international development and post graduate certificates in law and education.

Hargeisa

Ahmed Omer

Ahmed Omer

Programme Administrator

Ahmed Omer is an experienced researcher and consultant of Rift Valley Institute in Hargeisa. Besides his background in research, monitoring, and evaluation, he has also gained experience in project management. As an international development worker, he has worked for organizations such as ActionAid, the DRC, the NRC, and PSI in Somalia/Somaliland and Djibouti. He has unique experience in the Somali context as a former teacher, which has allowed him to conduct research in a wide range of sectors, including water and sanitation, humanitarian aid, and community development. His academic qualifications include two Bachelor of Science degrees in Mathematics and Statistics with Management and Civil Engineering. Among his interests are policy research, infrastructure and development.

Addis Ababa

Hannah Stogdon

Hannah Stogdon

Horn of Africa Programme Manager

Hannah is the Horn of Africa Programme Manager at RVI, based in London. She joined RVI in December 2017 and works part time. Hannah lived and worked in East Africa for 7 years working for International Crisis Group and Saferworld in Nairobi, and in political affairs for the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Sudan, in Khartoum. She has an MA in Contemporary War and Peace Studies from Sussex University.

Brook Abdu

Brook Abdu

Research Manager - Peace Research Facility

Brook Abdu is Research Manager at Rift Valley Institute’s Peace Research Facility (PRF) in Addis Ababa. Prior to joining RVI, he worked in the media and civil society sectors in Ethiopia for more than eight years. Brook holds a master’s degree in Development Studies.

Tezera Tazebew

Tezera Tazebew

Conflict Advisor - Peace Research Facility

Tezera Tazebew is a Conflict Advisor at Rift Valley Institute’s Ethiopia Peace Research Facility in Addis Ababa, where he promotes integrated conflict sensitivity with sound conflict analysis and technical support for donors and relevant stakeholders. Tezera holds an MPhil in African Studies from the University of Cambridge, an MA in International Relations and Diplomacy from Addis Ababa University, and a BA in Civics and Ethics from the University of Gondar. He was a lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Governance Studies at the University of Gondar. With a commitment to RVI’s mission and values, Tezera is now dedicated to promoting the practice and understanding of integrated conflict sensitivity.  

London

Magnus Taylor
Magnus Taylor

Magnus Taylor

Senior Publications and Programme Manager

Magnus Taylor is Senior Publications and Programme Manager at RVI, based in London. Previously, he was Horn of Africa analyst at International Crisis Group—working from Nairobi, Kampala and Khartoum—focused on conflict and political developments in Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda. Prior to this, he was editor of the Royal African Society’s online analysis portal, African Arguments. He has a Masters degree from SOAS in African politics.

  • Recent Publications

    بحث في النزوح

    أثر الحرب في السودان على التعليم العالي ومجتمع البحث الأكاديمي ملخص تنفيذي خلف اندلاع الحرب في السودان في أبريل 2023 دماراً ومعاناة لا حصر لها،

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