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Gedion Onyango

  • Gedion Onyango is a researcher and scholar in Public Policy and Governance in African countries. He has over a decade of experience in teaching, mentoring, and supervising students in Higher Education, having taught as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, as well as a Guest Lecturer at Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany and the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada. He was a co-PI at the ESRC-funded Centre for Public Authority and International Development (CPAID).

Can you tell us about your work and what brought you to the Institute?

I study government and state politics in its manifold forms across Africa and how these patterns influence government-citizen relations. My research mainly concentrates on African politics, public policy, public administration, legislative policymaking, and digital governance, with a special focus on digital technologies and AI. My work has primarily centered on Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Mauritius, and Nigeria, analyzing policies through the lens of the interaction between politics and governance. I joined the institute as Co-Principal Investigator for the Center for Public Authority and International Development (CPAID) Project and later as a Research Fellow. At the Institute, my research explored public authority in Africa in the context of legislative policymaking, transitional justice, public accountability, and digital governance reforms.

How did your time at the Institute shape your research?

At the institute, through CPAID and related projects, I engaged with various stakeholders and collaborations, which have significantly influenced my research going forward. I also participated in grant applications and networking activities, which created new opportunities and enhanced my ability to craft research that meets practitioners’ needs, addresses their challenges, and provides solutions for them.

What did you most enjoy about working with the Institute?

I truly enjoyed the vibrant research culture at the institute, interacting with a diverse range of stakeholders across Africa, and building meaningful networks. I had a great time collaborating with interdisciplinary research teams from different organizations. This is an experience I found very rewarding, going into the future. I also cherished the moments spent with my institute colleagues, who bring such innovation and flexibility to their research ideas, making every collaboration exciting and dynamic.

What do you think is the value of having a dedicated Africa Institute at LSE?

It provides a more focused platform for ensuring targeted engagements with African researchers and practitioners and facilitating research grants and collaborations with institutions in Africa.

What do you think have been the highlights of the last 10-years of the Institute?

The impact of CPAID research on policy issues and governance challenges in Africa and an expanded footprint in Africa through networks and collaborations within the continent.

What do you hope we will be able to achieve in the next 10-years?

Strengthening collaborations with African institutions, governments, and research organisations.

Key publications

Onyango, Gedion. Ed. 2025. Designing Artificial Intelligence for Public Policy and Governance in Africa. London: Palgrave Macmillan (https://link.springer.com/book/9783031834448 ),

Onyango, Gedion, and Jamil Ishtiaq. Eds. 2025. Routledge Handbook of Public Policy in the Global South. London: Routledge (https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Public-Policy-in-the-Global-South/Onyango-Jamil/p/book/9781032901480 ).

Olukayode A. Faleye, Gedion Onyango, Kaderi N. Bukari and Inocent Moyo. 2025. Democratic Recession, Autocratic Resurgence and the Future of Governance in Africa. Routledge, https://www.routledge.com/Democratic-Recession-Autocratic-Resurgence-and-The-Future-of-Governance-in-Africa/Faleye-Onyango-Bukari-Moyo/p/book/9781032907765?srsltid=AfmBOopFZi6PTkaM3NPcQO0hshABDZ0hSo31go_m0Qf0QydkpmKS7Gtx

Onyango, Gedion and Karuri-Sebina, Geci. Eds. 2025. Policy Digitalisation in Africa: GovTechs and CivicTechs Innovations. London: Palgrave Macmillan, https://link.springer.com/book/9783031750786

Onyango, Gedion. Ed. 2023. Public Policy and Technological Transformations in Africa: Nurturing Policy Entrepreneurship, Policy Tools and Citizen Participation. London: Palgrave Macmillan https://link.springer.com/book/9783031187032

Onyango, Gedion. Ed. 2023. State Politics and Public Policy in Eastern Africa: A Comparative Perspective. Palgrave MacMillan https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-13490-6

Onyango, Gedion. Ed. 2022. Routledge Handbook of Public Policy in Africa. London. Routledge https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003143840/routledge-handbook-public-policy-africa-gedion-onyango