Benard Musembi Kilaka

Post-Doctoral research fellow

Dr. Benard Musembi Kilaka is an academic and researcher with a background in Political Science and International Relations. His research interests span security, governance, resource politics, climate change and infrastructure development, with a particular focus on East Africa. He holds a Ph.D. in Peace and Development Research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. His doctoral dissertation examined security practices surrounding the Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor in northern Kenya, and the intersection of development, security, and state power in areas with limited state presence. Dr. Kilaka also holds a Master’s degree in Global Studies from Roskilde University, Denmark, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with IT from Maseno University.

Dr. Kilaka has been a key researcher in the interdisciplinary project “Shifting Grounds: The Politics of Sand in East Africa,” which was a collaborative initiative involving the School of Global Studies (SGS) at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), Maseno University, and USIU-Africa. Beyond academia, Dr. Kilaka has extensive experience working with international and national organizations across East Africa and has contributed to policy research, development planning, peacebuilding and governance initiatives. He has also served as a peer reviewer for leading academic journals in Political Science and International Relations.