Kenya Assumes COMESA Chairmanship

Kenya is the new chair of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

President William Ruto officially assumed the role from President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi during the 24th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government, held at the KICC, Nairobi.

In his acceptance speech, President Ruto praised the outgoing Chair for his wise and steady leadership, which has steered the bloc to notable progress over the past year.

He pledged to lead with humility and to harness the transformative power of digital technology to deepen regional integration, drive economic growth and unlock shared prosperity across the COMESA region.

Presidents Ndayishimiye of Burundi and outgoing COMESA chair, Azali Assoumani (Comoros) and Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe) and Prime Ministers Ahmed Abiy (Ethiopia), Russell Mmiso Dlamini (Eswatini) and Mustafa Madbouly (Egypt) were present.

Others were African Union Commission Chair Mahmoud Youssouf, COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe and Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area Wamkele Mene.