Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has taken over the chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) from Kenya’s President William Ruto, marking the end of Kenya’s year-long leadership of the regional economic bloc.
The handover took place on Thursday, October 22, during the 25th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government at the New Parliament Building in Mount Hampden, Harare.
Ruto assumed the chairmanship at the bloc’s 24th summit in Nairobi on October 9, 2025. Zimbabwe will now lead efforts to advance regional trade, attract investment and accelerate industrialisation among COMESA’s 21 member states.
In his closing remarks, Ruto called on member states to increase regional production, investment and trade, arguing that stronger economic cooperation would help translate the bloc’s ambitions into tangible benefits for citizens.
“As I hand over the chair, I do so with confidence in my brother, President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Under his leadership and with the support of every member state, I trust that we will turn the ambition of one market, one future into progress our people can see and feel,” Ruto said.
He also urged African countries to engage international partners as equals, linking regional economic integration to the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions an integrated, prosperous and peaceful continent.
“Africa does not come to sit at the edge of the table; it comes to set up the table as an equal partner,” he added.
Mnangagwa pledged to work with member states to build on existing progress and strengthen regional integration, with a focus on using the region’s resources and investment potential to support economic development.
“It is a call to harness the region’s resources and investment potential to accelerate modernisation and industrialisation towards a quality of life for all our citizens,” he said.
He stressed that the benefits of regional integration should be shared across member states.
“The future we envision requires every member state to contribute to and benefit from our collective progress,” Mnangagwa said.
The summit is being held under the theme, “One Market, One Future: Advancing Inclusive Industrialisation, Investment and Regional Integration in COMESA.”
Discussions are focused on strengthening regional value chains, expanding trade, attracting investment and improving industrial competitiveness. Greater economic integration could help businesses access larger markets, improve cross-border trade and strengthen supply chains across the region.
The summit follows a series of pre-summit engagements, including the COMESA Green Industry Connect on October 19, the COMESA Business Forum on October 20 and a meeting of foreign ministers on October 21.
The meeting also marks the rollout of COMESA’s Medium-Term Strategic Plan for 2026–2030, which sets out priorities for the bloc over the next five years, including deeper economic integration, industrialisation, infrastructure connectivity, expanded intra-regional trade and digital transformation.
COMESA is a regional economic community of 21 member states that works to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation across Eastern and Southern Africa. The bloc also seeks to complement the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by strengthening regional markets and reducing barriers to cross-border commerce.
As Zimbabwe assumes the chairmanship, the focus will be on translating regional commitments into practical outcomes that expand business opportunities, strengthen trade links and improve livelihoods across member states.
– By John Murunga
