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KINYUA Laban Kithinji

Staff

KINYUA Laban Kithinji

KINYUA Laban Kithinji

Name	KINYUA Laban Kithinji
Affiliation	Visiting Researcher, African Studies Center - TUFS
E-mail	labsgithinjitufs.ac.jp
Research Field	Global Studies, Comparative Politics, & Area(African) Studies
Key Words	Youth; Rural Africa; Information Communication Technologies; Globalisation and Africa; Rural Livelihoods in Africa; State and Decentralisation in Africa
Research Interest	Dr. Kinyua's research interests span several key areas within African studies, political science, and global studies. He focuses on political ethnography, particularly in rural Africa, and in informal urban settlements, examining themes such as decentralisation, governance, political contestation, digital use, and resilience among marginalized communities. His work also delves into broader issues of African politics, including governance structures, social movements, and the impact of globalization and technological advancements. His main area of research is Eastern Africa, particulary Kenya, and Africans in general. He is committed to interdisciplinary approaches, utilizing methods from anthropology, political science, and area studies to explore complex socio-political phenomena in sub-Saharan Africa.
Academic Career	Dr. Kinyua is a global studies scholar with a strong foundation in comparative politics and African studies. He earned his Ph.D. in Global Studies from Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan (2018), with a dissertation examining decentralization and politics of distribution in Kenya. He also holds an M.A. in Global Studies from Sophia University (2014) and a B.A. in Theology from Tokyo Christian University (2011).
Degree	BA, Tokyo Christian University MA, Sophia University PhD, Sophia University
Professional Career	Dr. Kinyua has built an extensive academic career, holding research and teaching positions at multiple institutions in Japan. He was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Studies (IAAMES), Sophia University, where he conducted research on political ethnography, digital platforms, and governance in sub-Saharan Africa. Previously, he was a Research Fellow at the Faculty of Global Studies, Sophia University (2021-2022) and a JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Hosei University (2019-2021), where he explored the political economy of mobile money transfers in Africa, particularly focusing on Kenya’s M-Pesa system. In addition to research, Dr. Kithinji has been an Adjunct Lecturer at Hosei University, Sophia University, and Tokyo University of Foreign Studies (TUFS) since 2018, teaching courses on African politics, African society, global studies, media analysis, and essay writing. His teaching approach integrates interdisciplinary methodologies, encouraging student-led research and critical engagement with contemporary African issues.
Academic Associations	Association of Global Studies Research Network Japan Association of African Studies (JAAS) Japan Association for Afrasian Studies (JSAS) Association for the Study of Worldwide African Diaspora (ASWAD)
Major Works	Papers Kinyua, L. (2020). "Revitalising the Promise of Harambee: Analysis of Contemporary Resource Mobilising Schemes in Rural Kenya". In Y. Matsunami and S. Takeuchi (Eds.), ASC-TUFS Working Papers 2019: Challenges of Development and Natural Resource Governance in Africa. Tokyo: African Studies Center - Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, pp. 55-73. Kinyua, L. (2019). "Navigating through the Tides of a Corrupt State: Youths Engagement with SMEs and ICT in Kenya". In H. Kirikoshi, Y. Matsunami, and S. Takeuchi (Eds.), ASC-TUFS Working Papers 2018: Development, Migration, and Resources in Africa. Tokyo: African Studies Center - Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, pp.161-180. Kinyua, L. (2018). "Democracy in Post-Conflict States in Africa: Is the "Gospel" of Peace Undermining Democracy in Eastern Africa?". Asia Peace Building Initiatives, [online]. Kinyua, L. (2017). "The Poor Communities Interactions with Global Interventions: Examining NGO-isation in Kenyan Society". The Global Studies Journal 10(3): 39-52. Presentations Mapping Adoption and Usage of M-Pesa in Rural Kenya, the 56th Japan Association of African Studies Conference, Kyoto Seika University, Kyoto, May 2019. Towards TICAD 7: Consolidating African Voices, TICAD 7 Seminar, Sophia University, Tokyo, December 2018. The Politics of Aid and Decentralised State in Africa: An Evaluation of State Programmes in Kenya to Map Out Strategies for Implementing Donor Assistance Within the Confines of New Devolved Structures, the 2nd A-Asia New Axis of Knowledge Conference, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Dar-es-Salaam, September 2018. Japan AID Regime and the New Devolved Governments in Kenya, the 55th Japan Association of African Studies Conference, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, May 2018. Relevancy of AID in a Globalising Africa: Encounters of AID Regime and Devolved Governments in Kenya, Graduate School of Global Studies Workshop Series, Sophia University, Tokyo, December 2017. Historicizing Grassroots Political Contestation: Politics of Toponymy, Ethnic Construct, and Decentralization Efforts in Embu County, The 7th Annual AISA International Interdisciplinary Conference, Multimedia University, Nairobi, Kenya, July 2017. Japan Discourse on Africa Development: Local Perceptions of TICAD Concept of Mutuality, 10th Decolonizing the Spirit Conference, University of Embu, Embu, Kenya, July 2016.