President William Ruto on Wednesday night hosted several heads of state and dignitaries for a dinner at State House, Nairobi, ahead of the 24th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit of Heads of State. The highly anticipated summit will take place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
The 24th COMESA Summit is themed “Leveraging Digitalization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.” The discussions are expected to focus on harnessing digital technology to enhance trade, strengthen regional integration, and promote economic resilience across member states.
Among the leaders present at the dinner were Presidents Azali Assoumani of Comoros and Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe, as well as Prime Ministers Russell Mmiso Dlamini of Eswatini and Mustafa Madbouly of Egypt. Also in attendance were African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Youssouf and COMESA Secretary-General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe.
In his remarks, President Ruto praised COMESA’s three-decade journey, highlighting its contribution to deepening regional integration and expanding trade opportunities.
“We celebrate 30 years of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a transformative regional bloc that has powered integration across our region. We take pride in our journey of resilience and partnership, which has expanded markets, created opportunities, and strengthened our unity in confronting challenges,” Ruto stated.
The dinner came ahead of a series of high-level meetings, including the COMESA Business Forum held on October 7 and the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs on October 8, 2025.
As the summit convenes, leaders are expected to deliberate on strategies to drive Africa’s next phase of transformation through innovation, trade facilitation, and digital inclusion, marking a milestone in COMESA’s 30-year history of regional cooperation.
