DR. DANIEL KOMO GAKUNGA

Dr. Gakunga graduated from the University of Nairobi where he earned his Ph.D. in Comparative and Contemporary Issues in Education in (2013) and a Master of Education Degree in Comparative and Contemporary Issues in Education (M. Ed) (2005). He had earlier graduated from Kenyatta University with a Bachelor of Education Degree (B. Ed Arts) with a specialization in Economics and Accounts (1991). He has a wide range of teaching experience spanning over 29 years in both TVET institutions and University. Dr. Gakunga has been a member of the faculty in the Department of Educational Foundations in the School of Education, College of Education and External Studies, the University of Nairobi since 2005. He has been teaching courses in Comparative & International Education, Contemporary Issues in Education, National Systems of education, and Research methods. Additionally, Dr. Gakunga lectures on Quality and Inclusive education and the Protective Role of Education in Education in Emergencies (EiE) programme. In his lecturing career, he has supervised 5 Ph.D., 62 Masters, and 3 Post Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) students to completion.
Dr. Gakunga’s research and work in Comparative and Contemporary Issues in Education focuses on learners, teachers, and social influences on education, Technical and Vocational Education, and Training (TVET). His research on refugee and pastoralist education led him to conduct research in refugee camps and marginalized semi-arid areas of Kenya’s northern region. Between, 2010-2012 he was the lead consultant in the evaluation of the WISER Bridge program that focused on improving girls’ education in Muhuru Bay, Kenya. In 2012/2013, Dr. Gakunga partnered with researchers from Columbia University and Harvard University in the United States to examine the quality of education for camp-based and urban refugees in Kenya. This work was published in the first issue of the journal of education in emergencies (2015). His other publications include Comparative Education: East African perspective (2008) and several other articles published in several online peer reviewed journals. Dr. Gakunga has also attended and presented several academic papers based on his research work in several countries across the globe including the USA, Europe, China, and South Africa just to mention a few. Dr. Gakunga is a born again Christian and serves as a Church Elder in Karura community Chapel in Nairobi.