Rich Mallett

Rich is a PhD student at the London School of Economics with an interest in cities, decent work, and the political economy of livelihoods. His doctoral research looks at how – and to what extent – contemporary changes in the nature of work are reconfiguring (or ‘disrupting’) the everyday lives of informal workers, the livelihood systems they are embedded within, and the wider politics that surrounds their labour.

In affiliation with the Urban Action Lab and the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Uganda, Rich will be exploring these issues through an in-depth case study of economic and political life within Kampala’s boda boda (motorcycle taxi) sector – a huge site of popular economic activity currently undergoing transformation on multiple fronts. Data for this project will be generated using a mixed-methods approach, involving a combination of semi-structured interviews, surveys, and targeted key informant discussions.

Prior to starting his PhD, Rich was a Research Fellow at the Overseas Development Institute in London where he worked on state-building, post-conflict livelihood recovery, and displacement / migration. He still remains affiliated as a Research Associate. Rich also holds degrees in geography and development studies from University College London and the School of Oriental and African Studies.