President William Ruto has left the country for Burundi to attend the 23rd Summit of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government.
In a statement on Thursday, October 31, State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed disclosed that during the one-day visit, President Ruto will engage in high-level discussions aimed at bolstering Kenya’s relationships with key strategic partners.
"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," Mohamed remarked.
The State House spokesperson further noted that the president will meet with his Egypt and Zambia counterparts, as well as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
"The 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 a Joint Trade Committee to address and resolve non-tariff barriers," Mohamed stated.
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During the summit, the Head of State will also mobilise support for Kenya’s candidacy for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson position.
Additionally, President Ruto will garner support for Kenya’s bid to host the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) Secretariat.
According to the State House spokesperson, this year’s summit celebrates the 30th anniversary of COMESA.
"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 8.9%, highlighting the strong potential for regional trade and integration," Mohamed explained.
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