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Born and raised in Kakutu village in Kabweri Constituency, Richard spent several years at home before joining primary school due to family hardships and the realities of rural life. As a young boy, he learned responsibility early—waking up before dawn to bake and sell chapattis on village roads to help support his family. These formative years of struggle and perseverance not only grounded his values in hard work and humility but also exposed him to the daily injustices faced by ordinary Ugandans—lessons that continue to shape his politics and vision. 

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Today, Richard is a PhD candidate in Political Science at Northern Arizona University (NAU), USA, where his research focuses on U.S.–China strategic competition in Africa, with special attention to peace, conflict, diplomacy, and civil-military relations. He is a founding member of the China–Uganda Research Network (CURN), funded by the Ford Foundation through the Chinese in Africa, Africans in China (CAAC) Research Network.

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Richard holds a Master of Arts in Political Science (International Relations) from NAU, a Master of Arts in Political Science (Chinese Politics) from Renmin University of China in Beijing, and a Bachelor's degree in Development Studies from Kyambogo University in Kampala. He is also a certified human rights defender trained at the AMEL Institute in Washington, D.C. 

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At NAU, Richard serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant in Public Policy and Comparative Politics, and he previously worked in Capital Planning and Campus Operations. He is also the Social Media Host for the National Unity Platform (NUP) California Chapter and formerly served as Communications Coordinator for the NUP China Chapter. 

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Richard’s early professional experience includes working as a volunteer at Compassion International and later serving as Area Sales Manager and eventually Regional Sales Manager for Northern Uganda at Africell Uganda Limited. These experiences deepened his understanding of grassroots leadership, youth employment, and corporate-community relations. 

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As a scholar and writer, Richard has co-authored several impactful works: 

● “Fighting Corruption at Home but ‘Encouraging’ It Abroad? China’s BRI Corruption Tales in Uganda” (2024) 

● “The Politics of CSR in the Banking Sector and the SDGs: A Case of Uganda and Nigeria” (2025) 

● “Football Politics, the Arts, and Sustaining Peace in Africa: The Case of Uganda”—exploring football’s role in fostering national unity 

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His PhD dissertation, titled “Civil-Military Relations in East Africa: The Impact of US-China Rivalry in Kenya and Uganda,” 

Outside academia, Richard is a respected columnist for the Daily Monitor and Nile Post, where he writes on democracy, governance, and political transformation in Uganda. 

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From baking chapattis on dusty roads to advocating for justice in lecture halls and parliament chambers, Richard Mbayo's story is proof that leadership can rise from the soil of struggle and service. 

Whether in the classroom, on campaign trails, or at policy forums, Richard’s mission is clear: to be a bridge between knowledge and service, hope and action, and people and power.