Established in memory of Ker Paul Mboya — educator, administrator, community leader,
cultural memory keeper and ethnographer — the Paul Mboya Institute for Culture, Leadership and Development
(ICLD) sits at the confluence of history and aspiration.
The Institute's work focuses on research and curating the cultural history of the Lake Region and beyond,
drawing on rich oral tradition and sage philosophies to inform present and future development.
ICLD provides a unique opportunity for multi-disciplinary research collaboration and capacity building
within Tom Mboya University.
Bringing decades of pioneering scholarship in African anthropology and development
studies to lead the Institute's work in cultural documentation and leadership capacity building.
"The philosophical principles of our ancestors contain the frameworks our communities need to
navigate tomorrow."
Tracing and documenting the culture history of the Lake Region peoples and linking it to current
development challenges and aspirations for African Renaissance.
02
🦅
Leadership Philosophy Curation
Documenting strategic leadership philosophies championed by Paul Mboya and other national heroes rooted in
community-based cultures with national and regional impact.
03
🌱
Applied Capacity Development
Applying philosophical principles and practices to leadership capacity development and social change across
the Lake Region and beyond.
Annual Celebration
Cultural Heritage Week
Every year, ICLD hosts a multi-day celebration of Lake Region culture — bringing together performers,
artists, scholars, community elders and the public in a vibrant festival of heritage and identity.
Deep partnerships with community elders, archivists and custodians of oral tradition across the Lake
Region.
02
Field Documentation
Systematic recording, transcription and archiving of oral histories, rituals, songs and cultural practices.
03
Scholarly Analysis
Multi-disciplinary academic research applying heritage knowledge to contemporary development questions.
04
Applied Impact
Leadership training, policy contribution and public education to translate research into lasting community
change.
Ready to Collaborate?
We welcome researchers, community organisations, partner institutions and prospective scholars to join our
work in preserving and applying African cultural heritage.
The founding vision, director and guiding values of the Paul Mboya Institute.
Our Story
Born from Heritage, Built for the Future
Tom Mboya University has established the Institute for Culture, Leadership and Development (ICLD) in
memory of Ker Paul Mboya. Born in Homa Bay, Paul Mboya was an educator, administrator,
community leader, cultural memory keeper and ethnographer of extraordinary influence.
The work of ICLD focuses on research and curating the cultural history of the Lake Region and beyond,
drawing on the rich history and oral tradition of the region as well as its sage philosophies to inform
current and future development.
ICLD provides a unique opportunity for multi-disciplinary research collaboration and capacity building
within Tom Mboya University. The work in culture and heritage enables Tom Mboya University to network with
institutions sharing similar objectives within Kenya, Eastern Africa, Africa and the World.
Prof. Achola O. Pala
Director, ICLD
PhD —
Anthropology, Harvard University, USA
A pioneering scholar in African anthropology and development studies, Prof. Pala brings
decades of academic excellence and fieldwork to lead the Institute. Her career spans research across
Africa, Europe and the Americas, with a focus on women, culture and sustainable development.
Our Values
What We Stand For
📜
Cultural Integrity
Honouring and accurately representing the oral traditions and practices of Lake Region
communities.
🤝
Community Partnership
Centering community voices and ensuring local ownership in all aspects of our research
and curation.
🔬
Academic Rigour
Maintaining the highest standards of scholarly inquiry across all research,
documentation and analysis.
🌍
African Renaissance
Connecting ancestral wisdom to contemporary development as a contribution to the
Pan-African project.
Join the Institute's Mission
Whether as a researcher, community collaborator, student or institutional partner — there is a place for you
at ICLD.
Three interrelated goals driving research, curation and applied development work.
Three Pillars
Our Core Goals
The Institute shall pursue three interrelated goals that connect
cultural heritage documentation to leadership development and applied social change.
01
🏺
Culture History Documentation
Tracing and documenting the culture history of the Lake Region peoples and linking it to current
development challenges and aspirations for African Renaissance.
02
🦅
Leadership Philosophy Curation
Documenting strategic leadership philosophies and practices championed by Paul Mboya and other national
heroes rooted in community-based cultures with national and regional impact.
03
🌱
Applied Capacity Development
Applying the philosophical principles and practices to leadership capacity development and social change
across the Lake Region and beyond.
Active Programs
What We Run
01
Oral Traditions Archive
Systematic field documentation of oral histories, proverbs, songs and community
narratives across the Lake Region.
Heritage
02
Cultural Heritage Week
Annual multi-day festival celebrating Lake Region culture through performances,
exhibitions and scholarly panels.
Heritage
03
Paul Mboya Leadership Academy
Capacity building programme applying indigenous leadership philosophies to community
development practice.
Leadership
04
African Renaissance Research Programme
Multi-disciplinary academic research connecting Lake Region heritage to Pan-African
development discourse.
Research
05
Community Archivist Training
Training community members to document their own heritage — ensuring local ownership
and sustainability.
Heritage
06
Elder Knowledge Programme
Structured engagement with community elders as authoritative sources of oral history
and cultural practice.
Multi-disciplinary scholarship connecting cultural heritage to African development.
Active Research Areas
Current Research Focus
Ethnography
Lake Region Oral Traditions
Documenting the oral traditions, proverbs and performance genres of Luo, Kuria, Suba and other Lake
Region peoples — building a living archive.
Oral HistoryEthnographyArchive
Leadership Studies
Paul Mboya's Leadership Legacy
Scholarly examination of the philosophies, strategies and cultural rootedness of Ker Paul Mboya's
leadership, drawing lessons for contemporary community development.
LeadershipBiographyHistory
Development Studies
Indigenous Knowledge & Development
Exploring how indigenous epistemologies and governance structures can inform development planning and
policy in the Lake Region and beyond.
PolicyIKSGovernance
African Studies
African Renaissance Frameworks
How Lake Region cultural philosophies can inform broader Pan-African development discourse — contributing
to the African Renaissance project.
Pan-AfricanismPhilosophyPolicy
Social Sciences
Community Identity & Wellbeing
Research on how cultural identity and heritage connectivity correlate with community cohesion, mental
wellbeing and social resilience in the Lake Region.
PsychologyCommunity Dev.Wellbeing
Digital Humanities
Digital Heritage Preservation
Developing digital tools and methodologies for archiving, preserving and making accessible the cultural
heritage materials collected by ICLD.
Digital ArchiveTechnologyAccess
Resources
Research Resources
ICLD Working Papers
Pre-publication research outputs and discussion papers from ICLD scholars.
Oral History Archive
Curated recordings and transcripts from the Lake Region oral traditions project.
Documentation Guides
Methodological frameworks and field guides for community archivists.
Film & Media Archive
Video documentation of cultural performances, elder interviews and community events.
Theses & Dissertations
Graduate research produced at Tom Mboya University under ICLD supervision.
Partner Publications
Research outputs from ICLD's network of partner institutions across Africa and beyond.
Moments from Cultural Heritage Week, community sessions and ICLD events.
Cultural Heritage Week
Celebrating the Lake Region
Every year, ICLD brings the community together
to celebrate, document and pass on the rich cultural heritage of the Lake Region through performances,
exhibitions, food, music and scholarly dialogue.
Cultural Week Opening Ceremony
Community Gathering
Cultural Performance
Tom Mboya University Campus
Research Symposium
Lake Region Heritage
Youth Engagement
Heritage Exhibition
Annual Event
Cultural Heritage Week 2025
The 2025 edition brought together performers, scholars, elders and the public for a vibrant celebration of
Lake Region identity — traditional dance, oral history showcases, art installations, food festivals and the
annual Paul Mboya Memorial Lecture.
Building bridges across Kenya, Eastern Africa, the continent and the world.
Collaboration
Beyond Borders
The work in culture
and heritage enables Tom Mboya University to network with institutions sharing similar objectives within
Kenya, Eastern Africa, Africa and the World.
We actively partner
with universities, cultural institutions, museums, NGOs and government bodies committed to preserving
African heritage.
Conferences, symposia, workshops and cultural celebrations from ICLD.
No Events Scheduled Yet
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when new events, workshops, lectures and cultural celebrations are announced.
