Strengthening the humanity and dignity of people in crises through evidence and learning
Faculty and Researchers
Darlington AkabwaiSenior Researcher
Darlington Akabwai conducts research and is responsible for research operations for Feinstein projects in Uganda and South Sudan, with an emphasis on Karamoja. He works closely with governments and local communities to ensure that research projects are carried out effectively and respectfully. Having worked on community-based programs with pastoralist communities in Africa for more than 25 years, Darlington is an expert on indigenous knowledge and culture. His training as a veterinarian and his reputation as a peacemaker affords him great respect throughout the region. Officials within the African Union’s Conflict Management Unit consider him to be one of the most respected and successful peacemakers in Uganda, Kenya, and Sudan, and they regularly call on his expertise.
Prior to joining Feinstein, Darlington pioneered community-based approaches to livestock care in East Africa and was instrumental in establishing programs that controlled rinderpest in Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, and Kenya. With the African Union, Darlington developed one of the cornerstones of its work: pastoral conflict resolution and management, including working with local women to bring peace to the area with “Women’s Peace Crusades.”
He holds a degree in veterinary medicine from the University of Nairobi.
Darlington’s dog, Rex, is his great friend who never stops barking.
- Livelihoods and human security
- The Seer people in pastoral areas of eastern Africa
- Urban migration of pastoralists ending their practice of pastoralism
- Uganda
- South Sudan
- Stites, Elizabeth and Darlington M. O. Akabwai. “’We are now reduced to women’: Impacts of forced disarmament in Karamoja, Uganda.” Nomadic Peoples 14 no. 2 (2010).
- Darlington M. O. Akabwai. “The Social Transformation of Pastoralist Conflicts and Cattle Rustling in Eastern Africa: The AK-47 Factor.” Institute for Security Studies. 2009.
- Darlington M. O. Akabwai. “Extension and Livestock Development: Experience From among the Turkana Pastoralists of Kenya.” Overseas Development Institute. 1992.
News Items
Pastoralism journal publishes series about Karamoja Resilience Support Unit
In November 2021, Pastoralism released with a special section of articles coming out of the Karamoja Resilience Support Unit’s 2019 conference “Pathways to Resilience in the Karamoja Cluster.” It includes…
Read MoreFeinstein Research Projects
Apolou: Understanding the poor’s interactions with market systems and international programming
Feinstein’s work as part of the Apolou project seeks to understand the impacts over time of a shift to an increasingly cash-based economy on different wealth, livelihood, and demographic groups.
Read MoreGrowth, Health, and Governance, Karamoja, Uganda
This USAID-funded five year project (2012-2017) aims to improve livelihoods outcomes for the pastoral, agro-pastoral, and agrarian populations in the region.
Read MoreFeinstein Publications
Five years on: Livelihood advances, innovations, and continuing challenges in Karamoja, Uganda
This fifth year report examines key areas of change in Karamoja over the past five years to inform development programming decisions.
Read MoreA Better Balance: Revitalized Pastoral Livelihoods in Karamoja, Uganda
This report reviews the state of animal-based livelihoods in the Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda and examines how animal ownership affects a household’s ability to weather shocks.
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