Ruto arrives in Zimbabwe for 25th COMESA Summit

President William Ruto made his way to Harare, Zimbabwe, to attend the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit. The summit convenes heads of state and government from COMESA’s 21 member countries to assess regional integration progress and outline priorities in trade, investment, and industrial development.

Ruto is set to transfer the COMESA chairmanship to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the summit, which is scheduled for Thursday, October 22, thus concluding Kenya’s leadership term in the regional bloc. Upon his arrival in Zimbabwe, Ruto shared on social media that the discussions would center on enhancing regional integration, bolstering peace and security, hastening the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and promoting industrialization.

It is also anticipated that the leaders will deliberate on strategies to enhance economic value from Africa's natural resources through local processing and value addition, thereby fostering manufacturing and fortifying regional value chains. The meeting is under the theme, "One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA."

On the agenda are key items such as the inauguration of COMESA’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan for 2026–2030, which will outline the bloc’s priorities for the subsequent five years. The plan is anticipated to concentrate on deeper regional integration, heightened intra-COMESA trade, industrialization, infrastructure connectivity, and digital transformation.

The summit unfolds as African nations focus on the AfCFTA, which aims to establish a unified continental market for goods and services, thereby strengthening trade among African economies.