A webinar on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on constitutionalism and the rule of law in East Africa took place on 11 June 2020. Participants included a selection of invited panellists and individuals from the African Union Commission (AUC), the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and other experts from the East Africa region. The session was guided by a programme and a concept note. The webinar was arranged as part of a series of engagements on the impact of COVID-19 on governance and democracy in Africa.

The webinar took place against a backdrop where the virus has been taking a toll on the lives and livelihoods of people in Africa. The national measures to tackle the virus have influenced the organization of national elections and the overall governance trajectory of some countries in the region. While the effects on elections are visible and have been recognized, the implications of COVID-19 on constitutionalism and the rule of law are less pronounced. It therefore became imperative for International IDEA to arrange an event in partnership with the AUC’s Department of Political Affairs on the subject of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on constitutionalism and the rule of law in East Africa.