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Elias Omondi Opongo, S.J.

Elias Opongo headshot
  • Hekima University College
  • Love Ethic Institutional Collaborator (2026-2027)
  • "Upendo Incubation Hub: Love Ethics for Reconciliation, Leadership, and Social Cohesion in Kenya"

Elias Omondi Opongo, S.J., is an associate professor of peace studies and international relations at Hekima University College, Kenya. He is a Kenyan Jesuit priest and internationally recognized scholar in peace studies and international relations, whose work bridges rigorous academic inquiry with practical peacebuilding. With over two decades of leadership in higher education, research, and community engagement, he is widely recognized for advancing social justice, reconciliation, and transformative peace processes across Africa. Rooted in Jesuit intellectual and ethical traditions, his work integrates scholarship, policy engagement, and grassroots practice to address complex social and political challenges.

He currently serves as Director of the Centre for Research, Training, and Publications (CRTP) at Hekima University College (HUC) in Nairobi, where he also lectures at the Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR). A former Dean of HIPSIR, Prof. Opongo has played a key role in institutional development and leadership at HUC, including overseeing administration, finance, and human resources, and strengthening the university’s research and training capacity.

Opongo holds a Ph.D. in Peace Studies from the University of Bradford, an M.A. in International Peace Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and advanced theological training from Weston Jesuit School of Theology and Hekima University College. As a practitioner-scholar, he has expertise in conflict resolution, mediation, transitional justice, humanitarian action, and climate resilience. He has served in key advisory and leadership roles within Jesuit and international organizations and has trained diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, civil society actors, and grassroots communities. He is in the advisory board of the Kroc Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame. He has over 80 academic publications, including recent books such as Decolonizing NGO Peacebuilding and Liberal Peace Agenda in Northern Uganda (Bloomsbury, 2026) and The Palgrave Handbook on Peace, Conflict and Security in Africa (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025).