Namwaya is spearheading research on the dynamics of pre-election violence in Kenya. He is a board member of Freedom House's East Africa Chapter. Prior to the Human Rights Watch, Namwaya worked at the Media Council of Kenya, the African Centre for Open Governance, and Freedom House. Namwaya lead a nationwide study examining the current state of media independence in Kenya and the factors which constrain the development of press freedom. His investigative journalism in leading Kenyan papers has uncovered the underground activity of Kenyan drug cartels, leading to a public investigation, and broke new ground by exposing corruption in the Kenyan media.