President William Ruto Assumes COMESA Chairmanship, Urges Digital Integration to Accelerate Africa’s Economic Growth.

President William Ruto Assumes COMESA Chairmanship, Urges Digital Integration to Accelerate Africa’s Economic Growth.

President Dr. William Ruto delivers his address during the Heads of State session at the 24th COMESA Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi.

Nairobi, Kenya - October 9, 2025.

President Dr. William Ruto has taken over as Chair of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), vowing to accelerate digital transformation, deepen regional integration and drive inclusive economic growth across the 21-member regional bloc.

Speaking at the 24th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, President Ruto expressed gratitude to fellow leaders for the trust placed in Kenya to lead what he described as a “cornerstone of Africa’s economic transformation.”

“It is with profound gratitude, humility and a deep sense of purpose that I stand before you today as the new chair of COMESA,” Ruto said. “This organisation remains a model for continental integration under the African Union.”

The summit, themed “Leveraging Digitalisation to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth,” brought together regional leaders, diplomats and business representatives to deliberate on ways to harness technology for Africa’s socio-economic advancement.

President Ruto paid tribute to outgoing chair and Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, commending him for steering the bloc with “wise and steady leadership” that advanced COMESA’s vision of integration and cooperation.

“Under your stewardship, COMESA has registered remarkable progress,” Ruto said, extending “collective appreciation and deep respect” to the Burundian leader.

In his acceptance remarks, President Ruto outlined a bold digitalisation agenda aimed at transforming COMESA into a single digital market and positioning Africa as a global hub of innovation and value addition.

He noted that for too long, Africa had remained a “passive consumer of technology,” urging member states to take decisive steps towards becoming producers and exporters of digital solutions.

Citing Kenya’s mobile money revolution, he said the success of M-Pesa exemplifies Africa’s potential to innovate for its own needs.

“M-Pesa is a vivid example of local innovation, a simple idea born from necessity that revolutionised financial inclusion. This is the spirit of African innovation we must now ignite and scale across our region,” he said.

He underscored the need to digitalise trade facilitation through joint investments in physical and digital infrastructure, including modern transport corridors and interoperable payment systems.

He called for harmonised digital policies and regulatory frameworks across the bloc, terming fragmentation “a non-tariff barrier in itself.”

“A single digital market for COMESA will require common standards for e-commerce, data protection and cybersecurity,” he said, adding that the adoption of electronic Certificates of Origin and integrated Single Window Systems would make COMESA the most efficient trading region in Africa.

The President also urged member states to embrace technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution such as automation, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing to boost regional value chains.

“This is how we will transform our rich mineral and agricultural resources into high-value finished products within COMESA, creating quality jobs and expanding our economies,” he said.

President Ruto highlighted Kenya’s recent investments in Africa-led financial institutions as part of efforts to strengthen regional financial integration.

He announced that Kenya has increased its shareholding in the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) by $100 million, in addition to the $50 million previously committed to Afreximbank.

“Through these partnerships, Kenya can now access long-term facilities of up to 25 years at interest rates as low as 2%. This is tangible proof that investing in our own institutions yields real, sustainable value,” Ruto stated.

While acknowledging that intra-COMESA trade remains relatively low, the President urged member countries to move “from competition to collaboration” by building regional value chains that retain wealth within Africa.

He reaffirmed Kenya’s decision to make the country visa-free for most African nationals, saying the policy reflects Kenya’s belief in an open, borderless and connected continent.

“True integration will only be achieved when an African can travel, work and invest freely anywhere on the continent,” he declared. “Africa’s strength lies in its openness and unity.”

He emphasised that economic progress must be inclusive and sustainable, focusing on empowering micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as women and youth.

He urged African leaders to pursue development models that balance growth with environmental stewardship saying,

“We are stewards of a rich natural heritage and we owe it to future generations to pursue growth that protects our environment.”

The new COMESA chair underscored that regional peace and stability are indispensable for sustainable development and investment.

“There can be no development without peace and no investment without stability,” He said. “We must strengthen our collective capacity to prevent conflict, manage disputes peacefully and uphold democracy and good governance.”

Concluding, President Ruto pledged to serve as a collaborative and energetic chair committed to advancing COMESA’s vision of shared prosperity and integration.

“Together, we can build a COMESA that is digital, dynamic and deeply inclusive, a bloc that truly reflects the promise of a rising Africa,” he affirmed.

COMESA, established in 1994, is Africa’s largest regional economic community, comprising 21 member states with a combined population of over 600 million people. The 24th Summit in Nairobi marked a major step toward deepening regional integration, promoting digital trade and strengthening Africa’s role in the global economy.

                                                                                          By Jeff Oyugi