Dr Jennilee Magdalena Kohima

Biography

Dr Kohima obtained her Bachelor of Technology in Land Management specializing in Land Use Planning from Polytechnic of Namibia, Master of Science in Land Management and Land Tenure from Technical University of Munich and Bachelor Honours in Spatial Planning and Masters and PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from University of the Free State (UFS). She has over 15 years work experience in the public, private, development and academic sectors in various development and planning fields, having worked for the Ministry of Land Reform, GIZ Namibia, Du Toit Town Planning Consultants. At the Ministry of Land Reform, she contributed to implementing the Resettlement Policy through her role as Development Planner in the Division of Resettlement, and later coordinated its policy and criteria revision. She also provided technical support for the formulation of The Gambia's National Land Policy. Currently, Dr Kohima is serving on the National Housing Policy Implementation Steering Committee and involved in reviewing the National Urban Land Policy in collaboration with GIZ and MURD. She is a member of the Namibia Council for Town and Regional Planners as well as the Namibia Institute of Town and Regional Planners as Town and Regional Planner in Training. 

Professional Affiliation 

• NITRP (No T4)
• NCTRP (No “q”)

Research Focus

• Land Use Management
• Urban Informality
• Urban Planning Policies and Practices
• Bottom-up Planning
• Housing
• Governance
• Planning Education
• Sustainability 
• Climate Change

Teaching

Undergraduate

• Geography for Planners
• Demography and Statistics for Spatial Planners

Postgraduate

• Advanced Theory of Urban and Regional Planning
• Spatial Planning Practice
• Project Management for Spatial Planning

Publications

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles, Book Chapters, Conference Publications

• Chigbu, U.E., Hayford, E., Kohima, J.M., Shikongo, A., Marenga, C., Siukuta, M. & Simataa, N.V. (2026). The Africa We Want: (Re)Positioning Land-as-heritage to Enhance Africa’s Identity. FIG Congress 2026 ‘The Future We Want – The SDGs and Beyond, Cape Town, South Africa, 24-29 May 2026. 
• Nage, O., Kohima, J. and Yankson, E. (2025). Exploring the Presence of Urban Informality in Botswana: Case of Backyard Renting in Mogoditshane, Greater Gaborone. In: Onatu, G.O., & Gumbo, T. Proceedings of the 3rd Conference for Planning Students and Young Graduates: Spatial Planning, Urban Development Challenges/ Opportunities, Resilience and Smart Cities with Focus on 4IR. Auckland Park, Johannesburg: UJ Press. [p. 183-206] https://doi.org/10.64449/9780639890180
• Ahmed, T., Ley, A., Salheen, M. and Kohima, J., 2025. Securing Land Tenure Through Participatory Upgrading Processes: Women’s Experiences in Freedom Square, Gobabis, Namibia. Land, 14(2), p.373.
• Maruza, T., Kohima, J. and Muller, A., 2024. Community Mapping and Bottom-Up Data Collection as Practices of Empowerment. Urban Technology & Collaboration in Informal Settlements, p.29.
• Bhanye, J., Matamanda, A.R., Kohima, J. and Bandauko, E., 2024. Implications of peri-urban land reform programs on urban land markets: a case study of Harare, Zimbabwe. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1), pp.1-11.
• Leboto-Khetsi, L., Kohima, J., Gambe, T.R., Mphambukeli, T.N. and Rammile, S., 2024. Liveability Assessment in South Africa’s Hostel Accommodation: Implications for Urban Health and Sustainable Development Goal 11. In Sustainable Development Goals and Urban Health: Strides, Challenges and Way Forward for Poor Neighborhoods (pp. 97-115). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
• Kohima, J.M., Chigbu, U.E., Mazambani, M.L. and Mabakeng, M.R., 2023. (Neo-) segregation, (neo-) racism, and one-city two-system planning in Windhoek, Namibia: What can a new national urban policy do?. Land Use Policy, 125, p.106480.
• Matamanda, A.R., Nel, V., Dunn, M., Mgwele, A., Rammile, S., Leboto-Khetsi, L., Kohima, J. and Ngo, P.B., 2023. Sustainable development goals and urban health challenges in informal settlements of Mangaung Municipality, South Africa. In Handbook of Sustainability Science in the Future: Policies, Technologies and Education by 2050 (pp. 721-747). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Delgado, G., Lühl, P. and Kohima, J., 2023. The Production of Scale Through Large Private-Led Housing Developments in Windhoek. In Housing in African Cities: A Lens on Urban Governance (pp. 45-63). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Matamanda, A.R., Kohima, J.M., Nel, V. and Chirisa, I., 2022. Climate Change Adaptation and Planning Education in Southern Africa. In:  Gebregiorgis, G.A., Greiving, S., Namangaya, A.H. and Kombe, W.J., Planning Cities in Africa: Current Issues and Future Prospects of Urban Governance and Planning (pp. 103-117). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
• Kohima, J.M. & Mphambukeli, T. 2016. Barriers Experienced by the City of Windhoek in Facilitating Land Development Applications under the Windhoek Town Planning Scheme of 1976 in Klein Windhoek and Katutura Suburbs. In Ogra, A., Nkoane, I., Lodi, J., Mohan, K & Minyuku, N. (Eds.) Making Sense of the Future – Disruption and Reinvention: 7thPlanning Africa Conference 2016 (pp. 376-391). Johannesburg: South African Planning Institute. 

Conference presentations & invited talks

• Presenter: Planning Africa Conference (04-06 July 2016, Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa).
• Presenter: World Bank Land and Poverty Conference (14-18 March 2016, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA).

Research gate

Academia