Green Foreign Policy in East Africa: Examining the Adaptation and Normative Articulation of Green Political Parties

Green Foreign Policy (GFP) has been predominantly theorised and articulated in the Global North, yet it has increasingly diffused globally through a range of actors and institutions, including green political parties in the Global South. One key characteristic of GFP is its normative orientation, anchored in international rules and institutions that aim to reduce uncertainty and promote peace within the international system. Despite this global diffusion, scholarly engagement with GFP in East Africa remains limited. Addressing this gap, this study examines green political parties in East Africa—specifically the Green Party of Kenya (GCK), the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR), and the Ecological Party of Uganda (EPU). Using documentary and thematic analyses, the research investigates how these parties articulate and adapt normative elements of foreign policy within their respective contexts. The study seeks to contribute to GFP scholarship by centring Global South perspectives and could potentially build on the GFP narrative with a decolonial perspective.