The Rendille women dress in colorful clothing, beaded necklaces and wraps, which are a form of adornment and cultural expression. The traditional attire reflects a nomadic pastoral lifestyle and is tied to various rites of passage and coming-of-age rituals.

Documentary Photographer in East Africa

As a documentary photographer in East Africa, Jjumba Martin works across borders to document stories shaped by shared histories, movement, culture, and social change. Based in Uganda and working regionally, his photography explores how communities across East Africa experience identity, development, resilience, and transformation within their own contexts.

His approach is grounded in long-term engagement and careful observation, ensuring that stories are not extracted for spectacle, but shaped through proximity, dialogue, and lived understanding.

Regional Scope: Uganda as Base, East Africa as Field

While Uganda serves as his base, Jjumba’s work extends across the wider East African region, where social realities are interconnected across borders.

Projects and assignments have taken him into neighbouring contexts such as:

  • Kenya
  • Ethiopia
  • Rwanda

Working regionally allows for a broader understanding of themes such as migration, climate impact, cross-border trade, development work, and cultural exchange. Many of the issues affecting communities in Uganda resonate across East Africa, requiring a documentary perspective that sees beyond national boundaries.

This regional approach complements his work as an African Documentary Photographer, situating East Africa within the larger continental narrative.

Documenting Social Change Across Borders

East Africa presents layered and complex narratives shaped by colonial histories, economic transformation, environmental pressures, and grassroots innovation. Jjumba Martin’s documentary practice engages these realities with sensitivity and research-led intent.

Rather than reducing communities to simplified representations, his photography focuses on:

  • Everyday life within changing social landscapes
  • Community-led development initiatives
  • Youth culture and identity
  • Cultural continuity and transformation
  • Humanitarian and displacement contexts

Many regional assignments are undertaken in collaboration with civil society organisations and development partners, connecting this body of work closely with his practice in NGO Photography.

Humanitarian and Development Contexts in East Africa

Across East Africa, humanitarian and development work often intersects with long-term social realities rather than short-term crises. Jjumba’s documentary approach prioritises context over urgency, ensuring that visual narratives reflect structural realities rather than isolated events.

Whether documenting refugee contexts, education initiatives, environmental programmes, or community resilience projects, the focus remains on dignity, agency, and narrative depth.

This approach aligns with broader documentary ethics rooted in representation, collaboration, and accountability.

Regional Work: Selected Projects

Below is a selection of documentary projects and assignments undertaken across East Africa.

The Rendille of Korr - Kenya

The Rendille of Korr - Kenya

On March 24–25, 2025, I visited the semi-nomadic Rendille community in northern Kenya while on assignment with a local NGO.

Deeply connected to their camels, they migrate several times a year across one of the country’s harshest regions in search of water and pasture.

While holding firmly to tradition, they are gradually adapting to modern life — yet severe water scarcity remains a daily challenge. Click to See Gallery

11.05.2024, Sheder refugee camp, Northeastern Fafan Zone in the Somali region of Ethiopia. 58-year-old Muse takes two of his daughters through a school exercise with the use of light from the inside of one of the rooms in his compound. The family of 14 has lived in the Sheder refugee camp for 10 years now, after fleeing AL Shabab in 2012. © MERCYCORPS/ Jjumba Martin 2024.

Enter Energy - Ethiopia

At Sheder Refugee Camp in Ethiopia, I documented a 253 kW solar mini-grid installed by Mercy Corps to power over 1,000 households.

There, I met Muse, a Somali refugee of ten years, whose family now enjoys reliable electricity after years of costly diesel dependence.

The project shows how renewable energy can restore dignity, cut costs, and strengthen resilience in long-term displacement. Click to See Gallery

24-year-old Sandra intently listens to family planning advice from Kiriibwa Ronald, the Community Health Worker in her community. Ronald conducts daily home visits to his community to implement various programs that focus on maternal and child health. Community Health Workers like him also advise women on the family planning options to help them make informed decisions and even provide short-term methods like pills and condoms within their community, making them more accessible.

Living Goods - Uganda

Living Goods strengthens community healthcare in Uganda by training local health workers to deliver door-to-door services.

They provide maternal and child care, treat common illnesses, promote prevention, and refer serious cases to facilities.

Working with the government and partners, they also supply affordable health products, reducing families’ travel and medical costs. Click to See Gallery

Approach to Documentary Work in East Africa

Working across East Africa requires more than mobility; it requires cultural literacy and adaptability. Each country and community carries distinct histories, languages, and social dynamics.

Jjumba Martin’s approach involves:

  • Preliminary research and stakeholder dialogue
  • Time spent understanding local contexts
  • Ethical image-making practices
  • Editing processes that prioritise narrative coherence

By situating stories within their regional frameworks, the work contributes to a deeper understanding of East Africa not as a single narrative, but as a collection of interconnected realities.

Commissioning Documentary Photography in East Africa

Editors, NGOs, research institutions, and cultural organisations seeking a documentary photographer in East Africa can collaborate with Jjumba Martin on both short-term assignments and long-term projects.

Early discussions typically focus on:

  • Scope of coverage
  • Ethical considerations
  • Intended usage (reports, exhibitions, campaigns, editorial features)
  • Geographic logistics

Enquiries can be made via the contact page to discuss potential regional collaborations.