James Kabugu Owino holds a Master of Arts degree in Armed Conflict and Peace Studies from the University of Nairobi and Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Makerere University, complemented by a Diploma in project planning and management.
He has a demonstrated track record of evaluating state fragility risks, studying intra-state and inter-state conflicts, and post-conflict reconstruction. James has a vast working experience with both state and non-state actors. Specifically contracted by regional think tanks on a range of topics spanning fragile peace, state society power relations, regime change, state capture , power transition and geopolitics. Before his current roles, James served as a peace and conflict researcher, with key experience including serving as a senior research consultant on mixed migration study, ISS. He also worked as a United Nations Volunteer , researcher on project implementation, mentoring researchers across Africa on peacebuilding initiatives. In addition, he has served as data and technical conflict analyst with the Kenya Conflict Early Warning Early Response.
Further, James served as the peace and security pillar secretariat for Ending Drought Emergencies in Kenya’s Arid and Semi Arid Counties, analyzing linkages between environmental degradation , climate shocks and resource conflicts in Kenya’s frontier border counties. He has conducted numerous research and risk assessments on human security risk, and state fragility, namely on the proliferation illicit small arms and light weapons, the risk of radicalization and counter-violence extremism , and state security and insecurity dilemmas.
James has authored and co-authored a number of knowledge analytical pieces on irregular migration, illicit arms proliferation, and state-society power relations, contributing to policy discussions and interventions.