Raphael Obonyo

Raphael Obonyo is a public policy analyst, author, and advocate for inclusive development whose journey from one of Nairobi's challenging communities to influential policy forums has positioned him as a leading voice in African public policy. Through the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program, Obonyo completed a master's in public policy at Duke University. He is an expert in public policy, international development, community organizing, and human rights, and holds a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Nairobi. He received the Policy Star Award at Duke University, where he studied with a Ford Foundation International Fellowship.

Obonyo began his professional career as an assistant at the United Nations Development Programme's Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy in New York, later serving as a program associate at UN Habitat in Nairobi and as a professional and technical consultant at the United Nations Development Programme in Gaborone. He has also worked as a technical consultant at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, the World Bank in Washington, D.C., the African Union in Addis Ababa, and the Netherlands Democratic Institute in The Hague. He was selected among 16 youth globally to serve on United Nations Habitat's Youth Advisory Board and was later nominated as a special adviser. He has held roles with organizations such as the Global Diplomatic Forum and the World Bank's Global Coordination Board on Youth and Anti-Corruption.

An alumnus of Duke University, Obonyo has authored and co-authored numerous books and chapters, including "Conversations about the Youth in Kenya." The book was published with an introduction by the Chief Justice of the Kenyan Supreme Court. His writing appears widely across Africa and internationally, and his commentary on governance, youth empowerment, and development policy has established him as a trusted voice in global policy circles. As a keynote speaker, he addresses topics such as public policy, inclusive development, and youth development. In a TEDx talk, he argued that education is transformational and that communities can write their own stories.

Obonyo co-founded Koch FM, the first community radio station in Kenya, and Miss Koch Initiatives, which has enabled more than 300 girls to access high school education. He is also the co-founder and a member of the advisory council of the Youth Congress, a youth-led organization in Kenya. Having grown up in a low-income community, Obonyo is committed to community development and has been involved in projects offering training to youth in entrepreneurship, filmmaking, and journalism.

Obonyo's work has been recognized with several honors. He was named runner-up in the UN Persons of the Year for his contribution to youth empowerment and recognized as an influential voice of African youth to policymakers. He is a Global Young Diplomat, a Crans Montana New Leader of Tomorrow, and an Emerging Leader with the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He has been named one of Africa's most inspirational youth by Africa Youth Hub, recognized as the Best Communicator in Kenya, named among the Most Influential Young Kenyans, and received the Africa Voice Achievers Award. Obonyo's perspective that youth are not only a population with problems but also a population with the power to solve problems informs his work in Kenya and globally.