President William Ruto has assumed the chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), vowing to spearhead a bold digital transformation agenda across the 21-member bloc.
The transition took place during the 24th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Ruto took over from Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who chaired the regional body over the past year.
In his acceptance speech, President Ruto said his tenure will prioritize harnessing technology to strengthen regional trade, improve connectivity, and empower African innovators to lead the continent’s economic renewal.
“For far too long, Africa has been a recipient of technology. The time has come for us to become producers, innovators, and exporters of digital solutions,” Ruto declared, setting a visionary tone for his one-year term.
The summit’s theme — “Leveraging Digitalization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth” — provided a fitting backdrop for Ruto’s call to embrace digital transformation as the new engine of integration.
He pointed to Kenya’s M-Pesa mobile money platform as a symbol of what Africa can achieve through homegrown innovation. “We have the capacity to build our own solutions, scale them across borders, and make technology work for every African,” he said.
Digital Agenda for COMESA
Outlining his roadmap, Ruto pledged to champion policies that will digitalize trade facilitation, modernize transport corridors, and promote the creation of regional data centres and secure cloud infrastructure. He emphasized that digital development must not be confined to cities but should reach rural areas where millions depend on agriculture and small enterprises.
“This digital superhighway must reach every village, connect every farmer, and empower every entrepreneur,” he said. “No member state should be left behind in this journey.”
The President also called for the harmonisation of digital regulations within COMESA, noting that fragmented laws on e-commerce, data protection, and digital payments continue to slow down cross-border trade.
“As we embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we must move towards interoperable systems, shared digital standards, and seamless trade documentation,” he said, urging countries to adopt electronic certificates of origin and unified payment systems.
Regional Cooperation and Tribute
Ruto commended outgoing chair Évariste Ndayishimiye for his leadership, saying Burundi’s President had guided COMESA through a period of notable progress. “You have advanced our shared vision of integration and cooperation with diligence and dedication,” he remarked.
The Nairobi summit brought together heads of state, ministers, business leaders, and development partners to deliberate on trade, peace, and regional integration.
As the new chair, Ruto now faces the task of turning his digital vision into tangible progress — transforming COMESA from a trade bloc into a technology-driven community capable of shaping Africa’s economic future.
