Doctoral Students

Introduction

Welcome to the directory of active PhD Fellows at the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR). This page highlights the scholars currently engaged in MISR’s interdisciplinary doctoral programme, showcasing their diverse research interests and contributions to critical social inquiry. These fellows embody MISR’s ongoing commitment to rigorous, innovative, and contextually grounded research on society.

Meet the PhD fellows

Olivia Komuhangi

Research Focus

Patience Itah Mbethis

Research Focus

Philip Atiba

Research Focus

Rhainer Lomol Koryang

Research Focus

Robert Birungi

Research Focus

Ruth Kitamirike

Research Focus

Samuel Nyende

Research Focus

Stanley Elias

Research Focus I am interested in exploring the intersection of political culture and everyday aesthetics, with particular attention to how these dynamics shape participatory imaginaries and contest public space in postcolonial Africa. My work seeks to understand how people creatively engage with political structures and cultural narratives through aesthetic forms—such as performance, literature, and digital culture—to assert agency, negotiate power, and imagine alternative futures.