Tamahi Kato has been working as a researcher as well as a practitioner: in various areas such as human development, peace building and poverty reduction. She worked with UNDP Human Development Report Office, UN Mission in Guatemala, JICA Tanzania office, and ODI/Chronic Poverty Research Centre, where she did the country study of Poverty Reduction Strategy review on Chronic Poverty in Tanzania.

Tamahi's PhD research aims to analyze poverty reduction and wellbeing impact of agricultural input subsidy programme on the rural poor in Tanzania by utilizing and updating panel data as well as qualitative interview results. The research tries to look at whether the Programme also benefitted non-beneficiary poor through more active food and labour market operation, higher real wages and lower food prices as well as higher real incomes and improved wellbeing of the beneficiary poor farmers.