COMESA Summit 2025 Adopts Resolution to Push Digitalization of Customs to Facilitate Trade

The 24th Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit kicked off at the Kenyatta International Convention Center in Nairobi on 6 October 2025 and culminated with the Heads of State and Government Meeting on 9 October 2025. On that occasion, Kenyan President Ruto took over the baton of the chairship from Burudian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, while Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa becomes the Vice Chair of the #COMESA Authority.

The theme of the 24th edition was “Leveraging #Digitalization to Deepen Regional Value Chains (#RVC) for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth”. In that regard, the Summit adopted the resolution to implement several platforms and instrucments to optimize the costs of trade across COMESA through the Single Window, Online Non-Tariff Barriers System, Electronic Cargo Tracking System, and Electronic Certificate of Origin.

In his inaugural speech as incoming Chair of COMESA, President Ruto emphasized the importance of Peace & Security in the region as the basis to achieve socio-economic progress. COMESA state members are combining efforts to link up their IT systems for customs in order to facilitate trade.

Kenya is positioning itself as one of the key gateways into East Africa. As part of this effort, Kenya is planning to implement the Mombasa – Nairobi – Naivasha Standard Gauge Railway (#SGR) to Malaba near the border with Uganda. Eventually, it is for the rail to go all the way into the Democratic Republic of Congo.