Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel

Associate Professor

He is an Associate Professor of Applied Philosophy and currently the Chief at the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, Gulu University, Uganda.

He has been a former Director, Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, Gulu University for eight (8) years. He formerly taught in the Department of Philosophy, Makerere University for four (4) years. He has also been a Visiting Scholar with Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda, for three (3) years. A Reader and Senior Fellow with United Nations Mandated University for Peace (UPEACE), Costa Rica and Africa Programme under the Great Lakes Region Programme for three (3) years. He is a Co-Editor, Global Social Challenges Journal, Bristol University Press. A Guest Editor, Ubuntu: Journal of Conflict and Social Transformation (renamed: African Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies). A Nominated Section Editor for Sage – Open. He has also been a Reviewer for Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group) – Social Sciences and Humanities. He has also been a Reviewer with International Journal for Transitional Justice (IJTJ). Has also been a Reviewer with Nordic Journal of African Studies. He is currently a tenured External Examiner for the Department of Philosophy, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University, Uganda. Formerly tenured External Examiner for the Faculty of Socio-Economic Sciences, Cavendish University and also formerly an External Examiner with the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Nkumba University. Has been an External Mentor for Students from School for International Training (SIT)-World Learning, Brattleboro, Vermont, USA.

Has been a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow under Imagining Gender Futures in Uganda (IMAGENU), DANIDA Fellowship, 2020 – 2024. Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the Department of Conflict and Development Studies University of Ghent, Belgium, 2018. Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Development Policy and Management (IOB) – University of Antwerp, Belgium in the Research Project; “Governance and Post-conflict Reconstruction in Northern Uganda”, funded by VLIR-UOS, September – November, 2017. He has been a Visiting Scholar with the Department of Peace Studies, School for Development Studies, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, June – July, 2019. A Visitor, Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Koln, 2014. A Visiting Research Fellow, AFTRALAW Project (Transitional Justice), Faculty of Law, University of Cape Town (UCT), 2012.

He has been a distinguished Chairman of Apaa Land Committee, a Uganda’s Presidential Initiative on resolving the Apaa National Land Conflict, 2016-2018. A Senior Consultant with Forest Whitaker Peace Foundation, Uganda, 2017. A Senior Consultant for Peace Building Framework for South Sudan, Commissioned by South Sudanese Council of Churches. Funded by Danish Church Aid and Finnish Church Aid, 2016-2017. Consultant on: Governing Land Conflicts in Northern Uganda, 2015. Commissioned by Justice and Peace Commission, Gulu Archdiocese. A Consultant on: Community Peace Building and Structures in Northern Uganda (Pader, Agago and Lamwo Districts, Commissioned by UNDP, 2015. He is currently in the Scientific Board, World Conference on Genocide: https://www.genocideconference.org/committees

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Qualifications

Institution Year Degree obtained
Makerere University

 

 2014 PHD
 

Makerere University

 2002 MA (PHIL.)
Makerere University 2000 BA (A)

Research Interests

His current research interests are in: Political Philosophy, Political Ecology, Urban Studies and Transitional Justice.

Publications

Daniel Komakech (2025) . (2025) . Genealogy of Romantic Love in Acholi: Constructs, Movement and Temporality . In: Lotte Meinert, Julaina A. Obika and Nanna Schneidermann (eds.), Marriage Matters: Imagining Love and Belonging in Uganda
Daniel Komakech (Accepted for 2025) . (2025) . The Security, Peacebuilding and Development Nexus: Integrating Ontological and Epistemological Paradigms from the Humanities to enrich Social Science Perspective . In: Kenneth Omeje (ed.), Strengthening the Security, Peacebuilding and Development Nexus: Integrated Perspective from the Humanities and Social Sciences in Africa
Kate Moles, Will Baker, Francis Nono, Daniel Komakech, Arthur Owor, Florence Anek, Catriona Pennell and Jennifer Rowsell . (2023) . Imagining futures/future imaginings: creative heritage work with young people in Uganda . Journal of the British Academy , [online] Volume 11(3), pp. 225-247. Available at: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publishing/journal-british-academy/11s3/imagining-futures-future-imaginings/
Julia Paulson, Silvia Espinal, Mrigendra Karki, Daniel Komakech, Gwadabe Kurawa, Srijana Ranabhat . (2023) . Exploring Transitional Justice in Educational Research . JustEd: Education as and for environmental, epistemic and transitional justice
Daniel Komakech . (2023) . Rationale of the Study: Contextualizing the Assumptions and Traits of Justice in Transitional Justice . In: Daniel Komakech
Kate Molesa,*,1, Florence Anekb, Will Bakerc,2, Daniel Komakechb, Arthur Oworb, Catriona Pennelld,3, Jennifer Rowselle,4 . (2023) . The hard work of reparative futures: Exploring the potential of creative and convivial practices in post-conflict Uganda
John C. Harris, Daniel Komakech, David Monk & Maria del Guadalupe Davidson . (2022) . The gendered postconflict city: Possibilities for more livable urban transformations in Gulu, northern Uganda . Journal of Urban Affairs
Daniel Komakech . (2022) . Dragging the finishing of Marua* Discrete Performance among Re-Displaced Former Lord’s Resistance Female Returnees in Gulu Cityscape . African Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 9(2), pp. 119-137
Daniel Komakech . (2021) . Two marriages, two speeds. Disruptions and connections in post-conflict Gulu cityscape . Journal of Sociology and Development,, 5(1)
Daniel Komakech (2021) . (2021) . Two marriages, two speeds. Disruptions and connections in post-conflict Gulu cityscape . Journal of Sociology and Development, 5(1)
Milligan, L.O., Ajok, P., Espinal, S., Balarin, M., Karki, M., Komakech, D., Kurawa, G., Monge, C., Nuwategeka, E., Paudel, M., Paulson, J., Ranabhat, S., Sarmiento, P., Shields, R., Singh, A., Singh, G.B. and R. Wilder. (2021) . (2021) . Education at the intersection of environmental, epistemic and transitional justices: An initial scoping review . JustEd, 1
. (2020) . Dragging the Finishing of Marua: Discrete Performance among Re- Displaced Former Lord’s Resistance Army Female Returnees in Gulu Cityscape. . African Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, 9(2), pp. 119-137
Daniel Komakech . (2019) . ‘Acholi manyen made us fight’: Understanding the metaphor in the former Lord’s Resistance Army female fighters’ battle spaces
Daniel Komakech (2019) . (2019) . Acholi manyen made us fight’: Understanding the metaphor in the former Lord’s Resistance Army female fighters’ battle spaces . Journal of Science & Sustainable Development , 6(1), pp. 102-121
Archange Byaruhanga Rukooko, Daniel Komakech . (2017) . Symbolic Universes1 of Hellenism And Afrikology: Metonyms And Search for Global Epistemological Field Building . IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) , 22(8), pp. 61-73
Archangel Byaruhanga Rukooko and Daniel Komakech (2017) . (2017) . Symbolic Universes of Hellenism and Afrikology: Metonyms and Search for Global Epistemological Field Building. . Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (IOSR-JHSS), 22(8)
Dr. Daniel Komakech, Amelia Katan . (2017) . Peace and Prosecution: An Analysis of Perceptions Towards the International Criminal Court Intervention’s in Northern Uganda . African Journal of Criminology and Jusctice Studies, 10(1)
Roy William Mayega, Nathan Tumuhamye, Lynn Atuyambe, Dorothy Okello, Grace Bua, Daniel Komakech, Julius Ssentongo, William Bazeyo . (2016) . Qualitative Assessment of Resilience to the Effects of Chronic Conflict in Northern Uganda
Daniel Komakech . (2016) . Alone and Frightened: Experiential Stories of Former Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda on Improving Reintegration . Nairobi - Kenya: Goldin Institute, Chicago - USA and Arigatou International, Nairobi - Kenya, 2016.
Daniel Komakech (2014) . (2014) . Hate Speech, Hate Communities as Temporal Liminality of Genocide . In: , Conflict and Peace Studies in Africa, published by Vision Printing, Kampala
Daniel Komakech (2012) . (2012) . Re-inventing and Validating the Cosmology and Ontology of Restorative Justice . In: Daniel Komakech (2012), African Perspectives on Tradition and Justice
Daniel Komakech and Barnabas Otim (2012) . (2012) . Time Scale, Temporality and Dialogue Process: A Meta Narrative of the Peace Process in Northern Uganda . In: , Weaving Peace: Peace, Conflict Transformation and Governance in the Great Lakes

Projects

Consolidating Early Career Academic Programme II Project (CECAP II Project)
    Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel
Consolidating Early Career Academic Programme I Project (CECAP I Project)
    Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel
Long-term Transformative Research Solutions on Conflict-related Sexual Violence, funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) – DFID (AHRC-DFID)
    Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel
Education as and for Environmental Epistemic and Transitional Justice to enable Sustainable Development (JustEd)
    Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel
Creative Heritage and Imagined Futures (CHIF): Young People, Past Conflicts and a Shared Future for Uganda
    Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel
Rethinking Vulnerability to COVID-19 Lockdowns in Gulu, Uganda
    Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel
ResilientAfrica Network
    Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel
Building Stronger Universities (BSU)
    Prof. Charles N. Okumu, Dr. Agatha Alidri, Dr. Geofrey Tabo, Ms. Judith Awacorach, Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel
Enhancing Research Capacity (ENRECA) Project
    Assoc. Prof. Komakech Daniel

Supervision

Graduate Thesis

2017: Okodel Francis, BodaBoda and Livelihood Economy. Master in Governance and Ethics, Gulu University.
Supervisor: Daniel Komakech

2015: Okumu Bernard Obina, Basic Member Contribution and Financing Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies,
Master in Business Administration, Gulu University. Supervisors: Justus Biryomumeisho and Daniel
Komakech.

2014: Kibwota Richard Okidi, Educaton System and Sustainable Peace Building in the Transitional Post Conflict.
Master of Arts in Conflist Transformation Studies, Gulu University. Supervisors: Charles Okumu and Daniel
Komakech.

2009: Adur Norah, Reintegration of Ex-Combatants: A Situational Analysis of NGO Intervention. Master of Public
Administration, Gulu University. Supervisors: Daniel Komakech and Oyat Christopher.
http://guluuniversityresearchtheses.blogspot.com/2015/09/masters-and-phd-research-dissertations.html

International Supervision – Honours Thesis

2015: Ellen Eichelberger, Assessing Perception of the LRA Conflict among the Youth in Northern Uganda: A Case
of Gulu Secondary School. SIT Post Academic Transformation, USA, Spring 2015.
2014: Jordan Sharp, Living Conditions of Youth in Remand Homes and Rehabilitation Centers in Uganda through
an Internship at Children’s Justice Initiative. SIT Post Academic Transformation, USA, Spring 2014.
2014: Amelia Katan, Peace and Prosecution: An Analysis of Perceptions Towards the International Criminal Court
Interventions in Northern Uganda. Brandeis University, SIT. Fall 2014. B.A. Politics and International and
Global Studies, Brandeis University, summa cum laude (Honours Research).
2009: Nicole Kligerman, Alienation in Acholiland: War, Privatization, and Land Displacement in Northern Uganda.
SIT Post Academic Transformation, Macalester College, USA, Spring 2009.
https://www.academia.edu/1142028/Alienation_in_Acholiland_War_Privatization_
and_Land_Displacement_in_Northern_Uganda

Independent Reader:

2023: Okok Samuel, Socio-Political Drivers of Uganda Political Integrity Challenges: Towards a Normative Ethical
Framework. Doctoral Thesis, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University.
2021: Mansour Arbab Younis Omar, State Formation and National Security in Africa. Doctoral Thesis,
Directorate of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Nkumba University.

More Information

Community Engagement

1. Lead Researcher on: Creation of a Regional Platform for Child Soldiers’ Reintegration and Prevention in Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Southern Sudan Project. Alone and frightened: The Experiential Stories of Former Child Soldiers of Northern Uganda on Re-Integration Efforts in the Region. Sponsors: The Goldin Institute; Chicago, USA, Arigatou International Japan, The African Council of Religious Leaders-Religions for Peace (ACRL — RfP); Nairobi, Kenya, Democratic Governance Facility – Kampala, Uganda, 2015
2. Post – Conflict Recovery in Northern Uganda: Resilience and Innovations to Shocks and Stressors. Sponsored by USAID under Resilient Africa Network – RAN, School of Public Health – Makerere University. The districts were: Gulu, Lira and Soroti, 2015.
3. Regional Focal Person Gulu University– Network Plus, Eastern Africa Resilience and
Innovation Lab (EARILab), Resilient Africa Network, College of Health Sciences, School of
Public Health, Makerere University.
4. Focal Person, Gulu University – Long-term Assistance and Services for Research (LASER)
Partner University-led Solutions Engine (PULSE), USAID Bureaus.
5. Research Fellow, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
Core Global professionals on teaching Integrity and Ethics. Project Leader for Uganda –
Developing Research Capacity on Conflict-related Sexual Violence.
6. Board Member, Education, Justice and Memory Network (EDJAM), Funded by
Arts And Humanities Research Council, UK.
7. Board Member, Mt.St. Mary’s Namagunga College.

Publication Details 

Book Chapters

  1. Daniel Komakech (2025). “Genealogy of Romantic Love in Acholi: Constructs, Movement and Temporality”. A Book Chapter in Marriage Matters: Imagining Love and Belonging in Uganda, Lotte Meinert, Julaina A. Obika and Nanna Schneidermann (eds.). UCL Press.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech (Accepted for 2025). “The Security, Peacebuilding and Development Nexus:

Integrating Ontological and Epistemological Paradigms from the Humanities to enrich Social Science Perspective”. A Book Chapter in Strengthening the Security, Peacebuilding and Development Nexus: Integrated Perspective from the Humanities and Social Sciences in Africa, Kenneth Omeje (ed.), published by Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Senegal & African Union (AU).

 

  1. Daniel Komakech (2014). “Hate Speech, Hate Communities as Temporal Liminality of Genocide”. A Book Chapter: Conflict and Peace Studies in Africa, published by Vision Printing, Kampala.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech (2012). “Re-inventing and Validating the Cosmology and Ontology of  Restorative Justice”. A Book Chapter: African Perspectives on Tradition and Justice   published by Intersentia Publishers, Belgium.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech and Barnabas Otim (2012). “Time Scale, Temporality and Dialogue Process: A Meta Narrative of the Peace Process in Northern Uganda”. A Book Chapter in a book titled: Weaving Peace: Peace, Conflict Transformation and Governance in the Great Lakes, published by Trafford Publishers, Canada.

Journals

  1. Kate Molesa, Florence Anek, Will Bakerc, Daniel Komakech, Arthur Owor, Catriona Pennelld, Jennifer Rowselle, (2023) . The hard work of reparative futures: Exploring the potential of creative and convivial practices in post-conflict Uganda. Futures, Elsevier, Vol. 153.

 

  1. Kate Moles, Baker Will, Francis Nono, Daniel Komakech, Arthur Owor, Florence Anek, Pennell Catriona, Jennifer Rowsell, (2023). Imagining Futures / Future Imaginings: Creative Heritage Work with Young People in Uganda. Journal of the British Academy, 11, s.3.

 

  1. John Harris, Daniel Komakech, David Monk, Maria del Guadalupe Davidson (2023). The Gendered Postconflict City: Possibilities for more Livable Urban Transformations in Gulu, Northern Uganda. Journal of Urban Affairs (JUA). The gendered postconflict city: Possibilities for more livable urban transformations in Gulu, northern Uganda: Journal of Urban Affairs: Vol 45, No 3 (tandfonline.com)

 

  1. Daniel Komakech (2021). Two Marriages, Two Speeds: Disruptions and Connection Journal of Sociology and Development, Vol. 5, No.1.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech (2020). ‘Dragging the Finishing of Marua: Discrete Performance among Re- Displaced Former Lord’s Resistance Army Female Returnees in Gulu Cityscape. African Journal of Peace and Conflict Studies, V 9, No.2, pp.119-137. doi : 10.31920/2634-3665/2020/s9n2a6.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech (2019).‘Acholi  Manyen  (New  Acholi)  made  us  Fight’:  Understanding  the Metaphor in the Former Lord’s Resistance Army Female Fighters’ Battle Spaces.  Journal of Science & Sustainable Development ISSN: 2070-1748 · Vol.6 (2) · January · 102-121 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jssd.v6i2.6.

 

  1. Archangel Byaruhanga Rukooko and Daniel Komakech (2017). Symbolic Universes of Hellenism and Afrikology: Metonyms and Search for Global Epistemological Field Buildin IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (IOSR-JHSS). Vol.22, Issue 8, 2017.
  2. Amelia Katan and Daniel Komakech (2017). “Peace and Prosecution: An Analysis of Perceptions towards the International Criminal Court Interventions in Northern Uganda”. African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies. AJCJS, Vol.10, No.1, 201

Discussion Papers

  1. Paulson, Julia, Espinal, Silvia, Karki, Mrigendra, Komakech, Daniel, Kurawa, Gwadabe, & Ranabhat, Srijana. (2021). Exploring Transitional Justice in Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5533918
  2. Milligan, L. O., Ajok, P., Balarin, M., Espinal, S., Karki, M., Komakech, D., Kurawa, G., Monge, C., Nuwategeka, E., Paudel, M., Paulson, J., Ranabhat, S., Sarmiento, P., Shields, R., Singh, A., Singh, G. B., & Wilder, R. (2021). Education at the Intersection of Environmental, Epistemic and Transitional Justices: An Initial Scoping Review. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5558839
  3. Daniel Komakech, “Alone and Frightened: Experiential Stories of Former Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda on Improving Reintegration”. Published by Goldin Institute, Chicago – USA and Arigatou International, Nairobi – Kenya, 201
  4. Roy William Mayega, Nathan Tumuhamye, Lynn Atuyambe, Dorothy Okello, Grace Bua, Daniel

Komakech, Julius Ssentongo, William Bazeyo, “Qualitative Assessment of Resilience to the Effects of Chronic Conflict in Northern Uganda”. Published by; USAID, U.S. Global Development Lab, Resilience Africa Network, Makerere, Higher Education Solutions, Center for Strategic International Studies and Stanford University, 2016.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech, “Hate Speech, Hate Communities as Temporal Liminality of  Genocide. Published under the Series; Peace and Peace building: Concepts and  Perceptions in Northern Uganda”, by United Nations Peace Building Programme under Gulu University Peace Project, 2014.
  1. Daniel Komakech, “Open –ended Epistemology: Hermeneutics and Knowledge Generation”  an article published in Gulu University Journal Vol.1. No.1., 2011.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech, “Conflict Framing Narratives: Beyond Traditions to Analytics” – an article published in LUGUSI Magazine, Vol.1. No.1., 2011. Distinguished Lectures and Presentations

 

  1. Daniel Komakech. Presentation and Discussion in the 6th Biennial African Philosophy World Conference, under the theme: Decolonisation and Trans-coloniality, 21st -24th September, 2025 at University of Douala, Cameroon.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech. Discussant in the 5th Biennial African Philosophy World Conference, under the theme: Gender in African Philosophy, 18th – 20th September, 2023 at Gulu University, Uganda.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech. Presentation in an International Conference: “Am No Racist. Am Just African. Beyond Hellenism: Sinology and Afrikology”. An International Conference in Beijing, China, organized by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, under the theme: China and the World: Towards Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind, 5th July – 6th July, 2023.

 

  1. Maiden Lecture on: “How to Be Evil”, organized by Open Mind Society, Gulu, Northern Uganda, 5th November, 2023.

 

  1. UCU, Africa Policy Centre (APC) presents “Exclusionary or Inclusionary National Dialogue and Reconciliation: Un- Constructing Groupism”. An exposition on the role of ‘de-ethnicisation’ and ‘de-spatialisation’ (geographical planning), in forging unity in Uganda, by Dr. Daniel Komakech, senior lecturer, and director, Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, Gulu University, June 2018. #PolicyLab #Reconcilation #NationalDialogue, Africa Policy Centre | Facebook.

 

  1. Daniel Komakech, Discussion of the Public Lecture of Hon. Betty Bigombe, Senior Director for Violence, Conflict and Fragility at the World Bank, on: Perspectives for Sustainable Peace and Development in South Organised by The University Forum on Governance (UNIFOG) and sponsored by Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), at Makerere University, 11th October, 2019. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung– Foundation Office Uganda – Hon. Betty Bigombe Demands for a Stronger Involvement of Women in South Sudan’s Peace process (kas.de).

 

  1. Daniel Komakech, ESRC GCRF Network on Justice, Conflict Development

https://justiceanddevelopmentcom.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/uganda-workshop-programme.pdf

 

  1. Daniel Komakech, Presentation in Environmental Politics – Environmental Justice. Organised by Centre of African Studies, University of Cambridge and Makerere University. GuluCambridgeConference2018@gmail.com

 

  1. Daniel Komakech, Presentations in the International and Regional Cooperation and Conflicts. EU/EAC.http://ac.ug/wp-content/uploads/2018/…/EU-EAC-International-Conference-Report.pdf

 

  1. Daniel Komakech, Keynote presentation on: “Curbing Corruption and Building Synergies: Exploring Feasible Alternatives for Peace and Development in South Sudan”. Organised by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, at Sheraton Hotel, Kampala. Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung – Foundation Office Uganda – SOUTH SUDAN NEEDS PEACE (kas.de), November 7th,

 

  1. Daniel Komakech, Resilience, Agency and Innovation on Northern Uganda Women in Sustaining Organised by Women’s Global Empowerment Fund, 2014. Reports on Creating a Voice for Women in Gulu thru Drama – GlobalGiving