bˈɔːɹn ɪn naɪɹˈoʊbi, kˈɛnjə ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti fˈaɪv, hiː wʌz ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æt ʃˈɜːboːɹn ænd stˈʌdid ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ lˈɪɾɚɹᵻtʃɚɹ æt bˌælɪˈɑːl kˈɑːlɪdʒ, ˈɑːksfɚd, ɡˌoʊɪŋ ˌɔn tə ðə skˈuːl ʌv ˌoːɹɪˈɛntəl ænd ˈæfɹɪkən stˈʌdiz, sˈoʊəz tə stˈʌdi ˈæfɹɪkən pˈɑːlətˌɪks ænd hˈɪstɚɹi.
Born in Nairobi, Kenya in 1965, he was educated at Sherborne and studied English Literature at Balliol College, Oxford, going on to the School of Oriental and African Studies, (SOAS) to study African politics and history.