Ruto to take over COMESA Authority chairmanship at Nairobi summit

President William Ruto is today set to assume the rotating chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Authority during the 24th Heads of State and Government Summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi.

The Authority is COMESA’s supreme policy organ and governing body, composed of the heads of state of the 21 member countries. 

It sets the general policy, direction, and control for COMESA's executive functions and guides the bloc's strategic trajectory and achievement of its aims and objectives, with decisions being made by consensus.

Ruto takes over from Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, who has chaired the bloc over the past year.

Thursday’s summit is a culmination of this year’s COMESA meetings, which kicked off on Monday, bringing together regional heads of state, foreign ministers, business leaders, and development partners to discuss trade, peace, and integration across the 21-member bloc.

It follows preparatory meetings earlier in the week, including the COMESA–EU Horticulture Connect, which linked regional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with European buyers to strengthen export capacity and competitiveness.

COMESA’s 18th Business Forum and Exhibition also brought together over 300 business leaders, innovators, and investors from across the continent to explore ways to boost intra-African trade and investment.

On Wednesday, ministers of foreign affairs met to review the region’s peace and security situation and propose measures to promote stability and dialogue in conflict-prone areas.

Dr. Oita Etyang, Head of the COMESA Governance, Peace and Security Unit, said the ministers received a detailed report on the state of peace in the region and would guide future interventions.

The Nairobi summit is expected to chart a renewed path for deepening regional integration and economic cooperation among COMESA member states, with President Ruto now at the helm for the next year.

The bloc, established in 1994 and whose member countries have a combined population of more than 640 million people, aims to promote regional trade, sustainable growth, and peace through economic partnerships and shared development goals.