Catheline Bosibori N

Catheline Bosibori Nyabwengi is an Adam Smith Fellow at Mercatus Center. I recently completed my PhD in African history at University of Bayreuth. My research interests include African History, with a focus on women, violence, security, and terrorism in East Africa. I earned an MA in history and a BA in history & Christian religious education from Kenyatta University.

My PhD was entitled Women Fighters in Kenya; 1952-2019

This study is historical documentation of women's active participation in violence in Kenya between 1952 and 2019. The study cuts across the various epochs in the country and the violent groups dominating each epoch, exploring women's entry into these violent groups and the factors shaping their entry, roles, and plight in violence. While historical and recent events in Kenya point out to women partaking actively in violence, their active participation in violence in Kenya has been primarily overlooked, giving rise to narratives like women as victims, passive or coerced actors in violence. Much focus is given to the statuses of women as opposed to the violent act itself when reporting on women violent actors.

Moreover, the relationship between gender, women, and violence in Kenya has not been scholarly documented. The study is significant since the findings from this study can help relevant stakeholders and policymakers in violence and terror issues as drivers and forces for policy change, formulation, and execution in counter-terror strategies.