Short Profile
Petronilla's doctoral research looks into the political economy of agro-industrial policymaking in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this she’s investigating the role that neopatrimonial politics plays in policy choices in the agro-industrial sector and the influence this has on the emergence and survival of Pockets of Effectiveness and agro-industrial innovation clusters.
Prior to this, she worked in the non-profit, public, and private sectors. Most recently the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), and the Central Bank of Kenya.
She has a master's in public management (Public Policy and Administration) from the University of Potsdam, Germany, and a bachelor's in actuarial science from Dedan Kimathi University of Technology, Kenya.
Her research interests have been on the political economy of trade and regionalism, food and agriculture systems, land governance, urban innovation, investment promotion, and foreign direct investment dynamics.
Research Focus
- Pockets of Effectiveness (PoEs)
- Neopatrimonialism and Clientelism
- Agro-Industrial Policies in Ghana & Uganda
- Administrative Structures & Institutionalism