Our team in Nairobi
Christopher Hockey
Joyce Kamau
Rose Chelangat
Timothy Kimaiyo
Christopher Hockey joined RUSI’s Nairobi office as a Research Fellow in 2019. He has been involved in several countering violent extremism projects in Kenya, with an emphasis on research, monitoring and evaluation and violence tracking. As of 2023, he leads the research and violence monitoring component of the UK CSSF Borderlands project addressing insecurity on the boundaries between Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia.
Having been brought up in Kenya, Christopher previously worked in Nairobi’s risk management space. As an analyst, he developed an extensive understanding of the transnational threat from Islamist extremism across eastern and central Africa. He has spent considerable time on various projects in Somalia, South Sudan and Nigeria and has trained analysts from across the continent. Prior to joining RUSI, Christopher led the information and intelligence branch of a leading risk consulting firm in eastern Africa.
Christopher holds a BA in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Cambridge and an MA in Cultural Heritage and International Relations from the University of East Anglia. Throughout his studies, he focused on state-building and conflict, looking specifically at the role of identity and heritage as drivers of violence.
Ms Rose Chelangat is a Violence Monitoring Consultant with RUSI Nairobi. Initially joining as an intern in November 2022, she primarily works on the UK-funded REINVENT programme.
Rose holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, with a concentration on Peace and Conflict and a minor in Development Studies, from the United States’ International University-Africa (USIU-A). She is skilled in data management and analysis. Her areas of interest include gender and development studies, and environmental economics.
Timothy Kimaiyo has served as Project Assistant at RUSI’s Nairobi office since August 2018.
Prior to joining RUSI Nairobi, Timothy worked for Busara Center for Behavioral Economics and Indepth Research Services as Research Analyst. He is passionate about development and governance, in particular, exploring the use of evidence-based solutions to influence policy.
Timothy has extensive skills in quantitative and qualitative research, econometrics, and data management and analysis. Timothy Kimaiyo holds a Master of Arts in Economics and Bachelor of Economics (First Class Honours) both from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Dennis Okemwa is a security analyst with extensive experience covering East Africa and the Horn. He has a strong background in data management and analysis, having played key roles in setting up and managing innovative data collection systems for RUSI projects addressing insecurity in the region.
Consulting with RUSI since October 2019, Dennis currently manages the context monitoring component of the UK CSSF Borderlands project ‘Deris Wanaag’, an initiative which integrates security, development and peacebuilding approaches to reduce violence along the borders of Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Prior to this, he was instrumental in establishing violence tracking for the UK-funded REINVENT programme.
Before joining RUSI, Dennis gained valuable experience working with risk management and security firms in East Africa, where he developed a deep understanding of the political, social, and economic dynamics of the region. His work has spanned multiple countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
With a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from Kenyatta University (Nairobi), Dennis combines his academic background with technical expertise to identify patterns, trends, and potential threats using data-driven approaches. He is passionate about leveraging data to enhance projects’ understanding of prevailing threats and to support evidence-based policymaking initiatives.