President Ruto Assumes COMESA Chairmanship, Urges Member States to Embrace Digital Integration
President William Ruto has taken over as Chair of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), calling on member states to harness the power of digital technology to accelerate regional integration, trade, and inclusive growth.
Speaking at the 24th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government in Nairobi, President Ruto said Africa must move from being a consumer of technology to becoming a global producer and innovator.
“It is my firm conviction that the future of our prosperity will be defined by how effectively we harness the transformative power of digital technology,” he said, highlighting Kenya’s M-Pesa as an example of African innovation that changed millions of lives.
Dr. Ruto took over from Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, whom he praised for his “wise and steady leadership” that had guided COMESA’s achievements over the past term.
The Summit, themed “Leveraging Digitalisation to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth,” is bringing together leaders from across the region to explore pathways for deeper cooperation and economic transformation.
President Ruto urged member states to build a single digital market through harmonised policies on e-commerce, data protection, and cross-border payments. He also announced Kenya’s increased investment of $100 million in the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) to strengthen Africa’s financial autonomy.
Reaffirming Kenya’s commitment to a borderless Africa, Dr. Ruto reiterated the country’s visa-free policy for African nationals, saying, “True integration will only be achieved when an African can travel, work, and invest freely anywhere on the continent.”
He further underscored the link between peace, stability, and economic growth, urging regional leaders to uphold democracy and good governance.
“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 concluded. Presidents Évariste 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.