Kenya Poised to Take Centre Stage as COMESA Summit Returns to Nairobi
Kenya will be hosting the 24th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government on the 9th October, 2025 at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi.
The significant event will bring together Heads of State and Government, Ministers, senior officials and business leaders from across the 21 Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) member states.
Themed ‘‘Leveraging Digitalization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth’’ the summit provides an opportunity to strengthen regional integration, promote trade and investment and showcase Kenya’s leadership within the COMESA bloc.
The Summit will be preceded by the COMESA Business Forum and the Council of Ministers for Foreign Affairs meeting scheduled for the 7th and 8th October respectively at the same venue. The gathering will also feature exhibitions and side events forums throughout the summit.
The summit comes at a time when the region is pushing to accelerate trade, deepen integration and tackle shared challenges.
For Kenya, this Summit is more than a high-level meeting. It is an opportunity to showcase leadership, expand economic influence, and cement its place at the heart of Africa’s integration story.
Established in 1994, COMESA has grown into one of Africa’s most influential Regional Economic Communities (RECs), driving cooperation across trade, infrastructure, security and climate action. The bloc has made commendable progress in advancing regional integration, but trade performance across the region continues to face challenges. Intra-COMESA trade has grown over the years but remains a small share of overall trade with the rest of the world.
For example, intra-COMESA exports rose from USD 10 billion in 2020 to USD 14 billion in 2023-a 40% increase. While this demonstrates positive growth, it still highlights the vast untapped potential, as most member states continue to trade more with external partners outside the bloc.
The main contributors to intra-COMESA trade include countries with more diversified economies and stronger productive capacities, such as Egypt, Kenya and Zambia.
Kenya, one of its founding members, has consistently played an active role in shaping the bloc’s direction.
For Kenya, the COMESA region is a primary export market and a vital platform for its trade competitiveness. In 2023 alone, Kenya exported goods worth USD 2.18 billion into the COMESA region, securing a commanding 16% market share. This makes the bloc not just a diplomatic priority but also a crucial trading partner.
The country has consistently recorded a positive trade balance within the bloc, with the value of exports exceeding imports. Key destinations include Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan. Kenya’s major exports to COMESA countries comprise of manufactured goods including cement, steel, plastics, processed foods like wheat flour, edible oils, food preparations, chemicals and lubricants and textiles and apparel.
On the import side, Kenya sources a diverse range of goods from the bloc. These include maize and wheat, sugar and confectionery, mineral products
and raw materials like cotton, hides, skins, edible oils and manufactured goods – such as packaging materials, paper, and iron and steel products
As the host, Kenya is expected to take over the rotating chairmanship from Burundi, a leadership role that will run for one year. Once it takes over the leadership mantle, Kenya will be looking to leave its mark. Among its priorities are:
Expanding Market Access: Leading the charge to remove non-tariff barriers that restrict Kenyan goods in regional markets.
Boosting Connectivity: Pushing for cross-border infrastructure projects that link economies and spur trade.
Championing Sustainability: Driving regional initiatives on climate change and green growth.
Strengthening Food Security: Supporting agribusiness reforms to ensure agriculture—COMESA’s backbone—remains resilient and productive.
This is not the first time Kenya has played host. Nairobi last welcomed the COMESA Summit in 2007 and before that in 1999. But this year’s edition carries added weight.
Beyond the headlines, hosting the Summit will deliver real economic benefits. Hotels, restaurants, transport operators and service providers are expected to cash in as thousands of delegates converge in the capital. The government has also aligned the event with its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), which emphasizes job creation, especially for the youth.
By hosting the 24th COMESA Summit, Kenya is uniquely positioned to showcase its leadership in advancing regional economic integration and reaffirm its commitment to digital and green growth agendas. The summit presents a platform to attract investment, deepen business partnerships and strengthen diplomatic ties across the region.
Kenya’s focus on digitalization is especially timely. As one of Africa’s leaders in ICT innovation and digital trade, the country is well-placed to shape the future of regional trade by promoting e-commerce, paperless systems and smart logistics under COMESA frameworks.
In essence, the summit is more than just a diplomatic gathering, it is an opportunity for Kenya to amplify its economic influence, drive the regional agenda and unlock the untapped potential of intra-African trade.
Ends…
