Bahati Kanyamanza

Bahati Kanyamanza is the Global Partnerships Director at the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), where he leads strategic collaborations with refugee-led and civil society organizations across the globe. He brings over two decades of experience working with displaced populations, combined with professional expertise in refugee advocacy, leadership and global policy engagement. Before joining IRAP, Bahati served at Asylum Access, where he led global advocacy efforts and institutional engagement with key actors such as the World Bank, UNHCR and the U.S. government. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bahati spent 17 years as a refugee in Uganda before resettling in the United States, where he is now a naturalized citizen. Throughout his career, he has founded and led impactful organizations and initiatives, including CIYOTA, a nonprofit empowering conflict-affected youth in Africa’s Great Lakes region through access to quality education and family-centered livelihood initiatives. A recognized leader in the global refugee space, Bahati’s work has been honoured by Ashoka, American Express, UNHCR and Echoing Green. He is a published author, with contributions featured in Forced Migration Review, The Guardian, Humanitarian Practice Network, Reuters, ODI and WUBR. Bahati also serves on a number of boards and working groups including the UNHCR Refugee Advisory Group on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways (CRCP), the International Working Group on Meaningful Refugee Participation where he contributes his deep expertise to influence national and international refugee policy. Bahati is a trained lawyer and holds an MA degree from the School for International Training.