Ms. Razia Kimani is a peace and development practitioner with 20+ years of experience in preventing conflict and violence in 21 conflict, fragile, and post-conflict countries in Africa, where she works to equip families, communities, civil society organisations, the private sector, governments, and development partners to actively prevent violence and conflict; build early warning and response systems; mediate and break cycles of violence and conflict; catalyse sustainable peace and development and a life of dignity for all citizens; and construct viable states with increasing self-reliance.
Mediating and breaking cycles of violence and conflict in Africa.
The Peace and Security Advisory
We believe that: i) preventing violence and conflict; ii) designing and facilitating evidence-based peacemaking efforts with broad-based coalitions early in the conflict phase; iii) addressing the effects and impact of violence and conflict; iv) re/forming systems and institutions for citizen-responsive governance and peace-sensitive and inclusive development, investment, and political processes; v) co-creating viable states with increasing self-reliance; and vi) redefining balanced, principled, and coherent multilateralism, will break cycles of violence and conflict.
Peace and Development Career Journey
Razia is the Founder and Principal International Consultant at The Peace and Security Advisory. She was recruited to the Joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention Senior Peace and Development Advisor (PDA) roster. Razia deployed to Eritrea in 2022 as the Senior PDA a.i. where amongst her many achievements, she provided quality anticipatory analysis and strategic advice to the UN Resident Coordinator (RC), UNDP Resident Representative, DPPA, the UN Country Team (UNCT), and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa. Prior to this, she spent six years (2015-2021) with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Kenya and East Africa Mission where Razia’s last role was the Peace and Security Team Leader a.i. covering seven countries. Before her second stint at USAID, Razia, was an international consultant in conflict prevention and peacebuilding for four years (2011-2015) and held several competency-building positions in peace and development work, including as: Peacebuilding Unit Coordinator with ACCORD in South Africa; Regional Project Manager for Women’s Land Rights in Southern Africa for ActionAid International; Rule of Law and Conflict Management Specialist with USAID/Kenya; and four years from 2004 to 2008 in various capacities with the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA) – a regional faith-based organisation with members in 11 countries and based in Nairobi. Razia holds two Bachelor degrees in International Relations and Psychology and a Masters in Violence, Conflict, and Development from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). She is an alumnus of the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executive Fellows programme.
Awards and Notable Assignments
Razia’s leadership ability and capacity to problem solve and mobilise resources, has led to notable assignments and numerous awards, such as, the appointment as Officer-In-Charge and Acting Deputy Office Director at USAID/Kenya and East whilst not the senior-most, during an unprecedented pandemic.
- Professional Achievements
- Notable Assignments
- Awards for Academic Excellence
- Awards for Professional Excellence
- Effectively led and co-led six and three international teams respectively of 39 staff in 2015-2021 at USAID/Kenya and East Africa, in the design, procurement, management, and execution of a USD 53.3 million conflict mitigation and countering violent extremism (CVE) portfolio that significantly contributed to a “…more peaceful, stable, and prosperous Kenya and East Africa region through technically-sound, context-specific, adaptive, evidence-based, and well-resourced programming” as cited in 11 awards for team and personal leadership, including receiving the Superior Honor Group Award from the USAID Administrator in 2017 “In recognition for exemplary extended performance in support of the U.S.’ primary foreign policy objective in Kenya – the promotion of free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections in August 2017. Through the effective teamwork, strong programme management and oversight, and leadership in information sharing, the team significantly contributed to the strengthening of democracy and democratic institutions in Kenya”.
- For senior United Nations (U.N.) management in 2014-2015, accurately forecast violence, conflict, terrorist attacks, and humanitarian crisis in 11 countries through research, analysis, and interpreting political, conflict, and violent extremism patterns and trends using a variety of data analysis and visualisation tools. In addition, initiated a bi-monthly convening of UN OCHA Country Heads from 10 countries, UN Resident Coordinators/ Humanitarian Coordinators, and UN Special Representatives of the Secretary General. This work was critical for UN OCHA and UN Country Teams to inform preparedness, interventions, and diplomatic action, as well as to provide evidence for the Assistant Secretary General (ASG) for Humanitarian Affairs’ UN Security Council briefings. In addition, wrote the conflict and political analysis for the Joint UN OCHA-World Bank Borderlands Overview for the July 2015 Partners Workshop on Borderlands Development in the Horn of Africa.
- At ACCORD, led curriculum development and the delivery of in-country capacity building sessions for multi-sectoral actors, including civil society, government ministries, and the Africa Union (AU) and UN Missions in Burundi, DRC, South Sudan, Sudan, and in Liberia for Mano River Region actors in Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea Conakry, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. This equipped them to do their work in conflict and post-conflict environments.
- Between 2004-2006, contributed substantively to the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Dar-es-Salaam Declaration, Protocols, and Programmes of Action that are key components of the Pact on Security, Stability and Development, which was signed and adopted at the Second Heads of State Summit. Thereafter, designed and mobilised resources for programmes to implement aspects of the Pact.
- Panel Speaker, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Insights Forum: Working with Religious Actors to Build Peaceful and Stable Societies, Nairobi, Kenya (2019)
- Panel Speaker, Catalyst for Peace and Fambul Tok International, Constellating Peace from the Inside Out: A Global Gathering and Immersive Peer Learning Event, Freetown, Sierra Leone (2019)
- Senior Peace and Development Advisor (P5), Joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Department for Political Affairs and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention, New York, US (2017-Present)
- Panel Speaker, UNDP Oslo Governance Centre, Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) by Promoting Inclusive Development, Tolerance, and Respect for Diversity, Oslo, Norway (2016)
- Panel Speaker, UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), High Level Expert Group Meeting on Conflict-Induced Migration in Africa: Maximising New Opportunities to Address its Peace, Security, and Inclusive Development Dimensions, Durban, South Africa (2015)
- Technical Expert on Eastern Africa, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Expert Group Meeting, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (2014)
- Resource Person, Oxfam, Oxfam International Workshop to Formulate A Policy Position on Promoting the Rights of Women Labourers and Small-Scale Farmers in the Context of New Opportunities and Threats from International Responses to Climate Change, Geneva, Switzerland (2010
- Panel Speaker, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Policy Recommendations to Enhance the Protection of Women and Children in the Great Lakes Region and Horn of Africa, Brussels, Belgium (2007)
- Election Observer and Lead Drafter Kinshasa Report, All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), Ecumenical Election Observer Group to First Congolese Elections in More than 40 Years, Kinshasa, DRC (2006)
- Technical Expert on Women, Peace, and Security and Lead Drafter of the President’s Speech, Presidential Delegation, International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Heads of State Summit, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania (2005)
- Razia was nominated by SOAS, University of London for the then-Department for International Development (DFID)’s Shared Scholarship Scheme. She was awarded a full scholarship to undertake her Masters studies, (2002).
- Magna Cum Laude, United States International University – Africa, Graduated with the highest Grade Point Average (GPA) in the Bachelor of Arts Psychology Class of 2002. Remained on the Dean’s List for Academic Excellence for the duration of the degree, (2002).
- Magna Cum Laude, United States International University – Africa, Graduated with the highest GPA in the Bachelor of Arts International Relations Class of 2001. Remained on the Dean’s List for Academic Excellence for the duration of the degree, (2001).
- On-The-Spot-Award, USAID Kenya and East Africa, “For exceptional teamwork in preparing a concept note that resulted in $2 million of Women, Peace and Security (WPS) funding to increase women’s capacity, participation, and leadership in preventing and addressing conflict and violent extremism within their communities and in advocating for citizen-responsive governance and peace-sensitive development in Kenya and East Africa”, (2020).
- On-The-Spot-Award, USAID Kenya and East Africa, “For significant contributions in the development of a USAID-KEA COVID-19 response strategy to clearly demonstrate and articulate USAID’s COVID response to counties throughout Kenya”, (2020).
- On-The-Spot-Award, USAID Kenya and East Africa, “For accelerated efforts to develop integrated programming through the New Partnerships Initiative, ensuring that local partners become agents of their own growth and prosperity for generations to come”, (2020).
- Mission Honour Award – Presented by the U.S. Ambassador to Kenya “For efficacious and dedicated efforts to complete the necessary technical review and negotiations for the award by fiscal year’s end of the three agreements to support conflict mitigation and reconciliation in Kenya”, (2019).
- On-The-Spot-Award, USAID Kenya and East Africa, “For successfully organising a democracy and governance briefing and roundtable for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee Staff Delegation in July 2019”, (2019).
- On-The-Spot-Award, USAID Kenya and East Africa, “For exemplary performance, diligence, and perseverance in the co-creation of an agreement with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development Center of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism” (2019).
- Mission Honour Ward, U.S. Mission Kenya, “For sustained performance above and beyond normal duty in support of the United States’ primary foreign policy objective in Kenya, the promotion of free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections in August and October 2017” (2017).
- Superior Honour Group Award, USAID Washington, “In recognition for exemplary extended performance in support of the U.S.’ primary foreign policy objective in Kenya – the promotion of free, fair, credible, and peaceful elections in August 2017. Through the effective teamwork, strong programme management and oversight, and leadership in information sharing, the team significantly contributed to the strengthening of democracy and democratic institutions in Kenya” (2017).
