President William Ruto departed for Burundi early Thursday to attend the 23rd Summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government in Bujumbura.
This year’s summit celebrates the 30th anniversary of COMESA, a vital trading bloc with a combined market of 640 million people and GDP of 1$ trillion.
COMESA represents a substantial market for Kenya, which currently holds a 12.4% share of the regional market, second only to Egypt.
Between 2019 and 2023, Kenya’s exports to COMESA grew by 8.0pc, highlighting the strong potential for regional trade and integration.
During his visit, the President will engage in high level discussions aimed at bolstering Kenya’s relationships with key strategic partners, with a particular focus on strengthening regional value chains to deepen COMESA integration.
He is also scheduled to meet with the Presidents of Egypt and Zambia, as well as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, among others.
Th discussions with Egypt will focus on enhancing the Kenya-Egypt partnership, with a joint commitment to increase trade between the two nations.
His bilateral meeting with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema will explore avenues to facilitate trade including the formation of Joint Trade Committee to address and resolve non-tariff barriers.
