Ruto calls for digital revolution as he assumes COMESA chairmanship
By Kenneth Mwenda, October 9, 2025President William Ruto officially took over as the new chair of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Authority during the 24th Heads of State and Government Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Thursday, October 9, 2025.
Ruto succeeded Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye, who had led the 21-member bloc for the past year. In his acceptance speech, Ruto thanked member states for the confidence they placed in Kenya and pledged to advance the region’s agenda for integration, trade, and economic transformation.
He paid tribute to President Ndayishimiye for what he called wise and steady leadership, which he said had steered COMESA to notable progress.
“You have advanced our shared vision of integration and cooperation with diligence and dedication,” Ruto said.
Speaking under the theme “Leveraging Digitalization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth,” Ruto urged African leaders to embrace technology as the key driver of economic growth. He said the continent must shift from being a passive consumer of technology to becoming an active producer and exporter of digital solutions.
“For far too long, Africa has been a recipient of technology. The time has come for us to become producers, innovators, and exporters of digital solutions, shaping our own economic destiny,” he said.
Ruto cited Kenya’s mobile money platform M-Pesa as an example of local innovation that has transformed financial inclusion. He called on COMESA members to build on such homegrown solutions and scale them across the region.
Ruto outlines digital roadmap
The President said his leadership will focus on digitalizing trade facilitation, improving transport corridors, developing regional data centres, and investing in secure cloud services. He added that digital infrastructure must extend beyond urban centres to benefit rural areas.
“This digital superhighway must not end in our capitals. It must reach every village, connect every farmer, empower every entrepreneur, and link our landlocked nations to the arteries of global trade,” he said.
Ruto also urged the harmonisation of digital policies across COMESA states, noting that fragmentation had become a non-tariff barrier to growth. He pushed for common standards in e-commerce, digital payments, data protection, and cybersecurity.
“As we embrace the Fourth Industrial Revolution, let us accelerate the adoption of electronic certificates of origin, single-window systems, and interoperable cross-border payment platforms,” he said.
The Nairobi summit brought together heads of state, ministers, business leaders, and development partners to discuss trade, peace, and integration across the bloc. Ruto will chair COMESA for the next year.