President William Ruto has assumed the chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) with a bold declaration that Africa must stop being a passive consumer of technology and instead become a global producer of digital innovation.
Speaking in Nairobi at the 24th COMESA Heads of State Summit, Ruto said his leadership will focus on transforming Africa into a digital powerhouse, driving value addition, industrialisation, and sustainable growth through innovation.
“The time has come for us to become producers, innovators, and exporters of digital solutions, shaping our own economic destiny,” Ruto said, referencing Kenya’s M-Pesa success story as proof of Africa’s potential to lead in technology.
The president called on member states to build a ‘digital superhighway’ connecting cities and villages across the continent, linking farmers and entrepreneurs to global trade through data centres, cloud services, and digital transport corridors.
“This digital superhighway must not end in our capitals. It must reach every village, empower every entrepreneur, and link our landlocked nations to the arteries of global trade,” he said.
Ruto outlined his vision for a Single Digital Market within COMESA, harmonising regulations on e-commerce, data protection, and cybersecurity to boost trade efficiency. He urged countries to adopt electronic certificates of origin, cross-border e-payment systems, and smart logistics technologies to make COMESA Africa’s most efficient trading bloc.
Turning to economic sovereignty, Ruto criticised the global financial system for being “trapped in the architecture of a bygone era,” dominated by wealthy nations. He announced Kenya’s commitment to strengthening Africa’s own institutions, revealing that Nairobi has increased its investment in the Trade and Development Bank (TDB) by an additional $100 million, on top of its $50 million Afreximbank stake.
“These African-led banks are true partners in progress,” he said, noting that through them Kenya can now access long-term loans at interest rates as low as 2 percent.
The new COMESA Chair also reaffirmed his pan-African credentials by championing the free movement of people, highlighting Kenya’s decision to go visa-free for most African nationals.
“True integration will only be achieved when an African can travel, work, and invest freely anywhere on the continent,” he said, urging other nations to adopt similar policies.
Ruto also emphasised peace, stability, and environmental sustainability as pillars of Africa’s transformation, saying, “There can be no development without peace, and no investment without stability.”
In his closing remarks, the President pledged to steer COMESA towards a “digital, dynamic, and deeply inclusive” future.
“Together, we can build a bloc that truly reflects the promise of a rising Africa,” he concluded.
Read: Kenya, Burundi Renew Economic Partnership During COMESA Summit in Nairobi
>>> COMESA Summit in Nairobi Urges Deeper Regional Integration, Value Addition and Digital Trade
Leave a comment