Irish Studies in International Affairs

Abstract:

What have been the implications of Covid-19 for states in Africa? Has the pandemic accelerated the shift from US-led health governance in a unipolar world to one where the rise of China is increasing the scope for action of global south states? Has it added to the influence of multilateral institutions, most notably the WHO and the African Union? Internally, have states capitalised on Covid-19 to undermine the constitutional orders put in place with the ‘refoundation’ of many African states in the period since the end of the Cold War? Can we draw larger conclusions regarding the capacity and effectiveness of African states internally and externally? These questions are addressed in the present article, focusing on developments in three East African countries: Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.