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Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto have been appointed the chair and vice chair of the COMESA regional bloc.
The two were appointed at the 23rd Comesa Summit in Kiriri, Bujumbura, Burundi on Thursday.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi was among leaders who congratulated the two on their appointments.
“I also extend my appreciation to the outgoing chairman, President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia, for his invaluable contributions. His dedication to enhancing regional economic cooperation has been a guiding force in our integration efforts,” he stated.
Mudavadi said the summit’s theme, “Accelerating Regional Integration through the Development of Regional Value Chains in Climate Resilient Agriculture, Mining, and Tourism,” underscored Comesa’s unwavering commitment to fostering sustainable, inclusive growth for all member states.
He joined Ruto for deliberations at the summit focused on progressing the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), a transformative initiative connecting Comesa, EAC, and SADC regions to strengthen intra-African trade.
The appointments were made as Kenya was announced the host of the 2025 Comesa Summit.
Accepting to host the crucial meeting Ruto said Kenya is ready to host the meeting of heads of State and government.
“It is a great privilege to stand before you and accept, on behalf of the people of the Republic of Kenya, the distinguished honour of hosting the 2025 Comesa Summit,” the President said.
He extended his and Kenya’s gratitude to fellow heads of State and Government for entrusting Kenya with this critical assignment.
“I confirm our readiness to host a summit that will elevate our region’s achievements and serve as an historic landmark on our road to a united and prosperous Africa,” Ruto said.
He added: “I look forward to welcoming each one of you to Nairobi, and to taking part in a summit that will definitely be our region’s next step in the journey to transformative progress.”
Ruto said Kenya is committed to making the 2025 Comesa summit a remarkable event that will amplify the trading bloc’s vision and accelerate progress towards achieving the region’s shared ambitions.
by Allan Kisia