President William Ruto on Thursday embarked on a diplomatic mission to Burundi, joining fellow leaders at the 23rd COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit in Bujumbura.
The one-day visit, as announced by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, centres on advancing regional integration and strengthening trade relationships within the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. The summit holds particular significance as it marks COMESA’s 30th anniversary, celebrating three decades of regional cooperation within a trading bloc that includes 640 million people and boasts a combined GDP of $1 trillion. Kenya’s growing engagement with COMESA is evidenced by an 8.9 per cent increase in exports to member states between 2019 and 2023.
At the heart of this year’s summit is the theme “Accelerating Regional Integration through the Development of Regional Value Chains in Climate Resilient Agriculture, Mining, and Tourism.” President Ruto’s agenda includes crucial bilateral meetings with several regional leaders, including the presidents of Egypt and Zambia, as well as Ethiopia’s prime minister. The discussions with Egyptian leadership will focus on strengthening the Kenya-Egypt partnership and building upon existing cooperation frameworks established through various Memoranda of Understanding in sectors such as trade, agriculture, tourism, energy, and infrastructure.
A key diplomatic initiative on Ruto’s agenda involves discussions with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema regarding the establishment of a Joint Trade Committee. This proposed body would address non-tariff barriers that currently impede bilateral trade. Beyond bilateral engagements, President Ruto is leveraging the summit to advance Kenya’s broader regional ambitions. He is actively seeking support for Kenya’s candidacy for the African Union Commission chairperson position and advocating for Kenya to host the Tripartite Free Trade Area Secretariat.
The TFTA represents an ambitious initiative to unite COMESA, the East African Community, and the Southern African Development Community into a more comprehensive trading bloc. The summit also provides a platform for addressing sector-specific concerns, with President Ruto championing the extension of sugar safeguard measures to protect and revitalize Kenya’s domestic sugar industry.
