President William Ruto has arrived in Bujumbura, Burundi, to participate in the 23rd COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) Summit.
Upon his arrival, he inspected a guard of honour from the Burundian military, a ceremonial gesture marking his visit to the country.
More than 400 representatives from the private sector, small-scale traders, policymakers and civil society are taking part in 23rd COMESA Summit.
“The Bujumbura meeting is paying attention to the acceleration of regional integration through the development of value chains in climate resilient agriculture, mining and tourism.
“President Ruto is expected to appeal for combined efforts from the 21-member trading bloc to boost intra-regional commerce and deepen economic growth,” State House said.
Ruto left Nairobi for Bujumbura early on Thursday morning October 31, 2024.
“This year’s summit celebrates the 30th anniversary of COMESA, a vital trading bloc with a combined market of 640 million people and a GDP of $1 trillion,” State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said in a statement.
“COMESA represents a substantial market for Kenya, which currently holds a 12.4 per cent share of the regional market, second only to Egypt. Between 2019 and 2023, Kenya’s exports to COMESA grew by 8.9 per cent, highlighting the strong potential for regional trade and integration,” he added.
During the summit, Ruto is expected to engage in discussions with various heads of state, including Egypt’s President Abd el-Fattah el-Sisi, Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema, and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.
Key topics will include enhancing the Kenya-Egypt trade partnership and addressing non-tariff barriers through the establishment of a Joint Trade Committee with Zambia.
“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,” Hussein Mohamed said.
Furthermore, discussions will likely cover the extension of sugar safeguard measures to revitalize the sugar sector, a crucial agenda for the region’s agricultural economy.
