Elizabeth Ngutuku

Elizabeth Ngutuku is a Research Fellow at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa (FLIA) at the London School of Economics and Political Science, affiliated with the Centre for Public Authority and International Development (CPAID). She holds a PhD in Development Studies (cum laude) and an MA in Women, Gender, and Development from Erasmus University Rotterdam. With over 20 years of experience, she specializes in multidisciplinary research on children and youth development in eastern Africa.

Her research examines:

• Child poverty/vulnerability in Kenya through rhizomatic lived experiences
• Youth sexual/reproductive health rights and activism
• Decolonial approaches to identity and belonging
• Grassroots interventions for violence prevention
• Educational access for marginalized groups

Her publications focus on ethnographic explorations of childhood agency within structural constraints, colonial legacies, and policy frameworks across African contexts. Research consistently challenges dominant narratives through localized perspectives.

Award highlights include:

• Premium Erasmianum Foundation Prize (2022)
• Best PhD Thesis at Erasmus Graduate School (2021)
• CODESRIA Laureate (2012, 2015)
• Best Research Paper at ISS-EUR (2005)

She co-founded Roots and Wings Research and Development Organization, leading community-based research initiatives. Currently developing projects on diaspora youth health in London and child participation in environmental sustainability. Teaches at LSE and University of Geneva, including courses on human security, humanitarian protection, and post-qualitative methods with youth.