Sylvanus Wekesa, PhD, is a Research Associate at the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London. He specializes in peacebuilding, regional security, leadership, and development, with a focus on the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region. His doctoral research examined leadership and the politics of borderland communities, analyzing how the East African Community addresses security and integration challenges affecting cross-border populations.
Dr. Wekesa holds a BA in History and Political Studies from Kenyatta University and an MSc in Security, Leadership and Society from King’s College London, where he also completed his PhD in Leadership Studies (Security and Development). He has served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and mentor to undergraduate and postgraduate students.
He is a regular commentator for international and regional media including BBC and Al Jazeera, and writes on regional geopolitics, peacebuilding, and security sector reform. His research interests include regional economic organizations, Kenya’s foreign policy toward African regional bodies, alternative peacebuilding approaches, and post-conflict governance. Dr. Wekesa also works as a consultant on political risk, due diligence, and market research.
Key Interests and Areas of Expertise
● Peacebuilding and regional security
● Leadership and development
● Horn of Africa and Great Lakes geopolitics
● Borderland community politics
● East African Community security integration
● Security sector reform
● Post-conflict governance
● Regional economic organizations
● Kenya foreign policy (African regional bodies)
● Political risk and due diligence research