Secretary-General, Mr Sindiso Ngwenya, has congratulated the President-elect of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, for winning the March 04th general elections. Hon. Kenyatta, currently the Deputy Prime Minister of Kenya, won the elections by 50.07 percent ahead of Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

“On behalf of COMESA Secretariat and indeed on my own behalf, I would like to congratulate you, Your Excellency, on your election as the fourth President-elect of the Republic of Kenya. Your victory is a clear sign of the trust and confidence that the people of Kenya have in you,” Mr Ngwenya said.

He added that the Secretariat is confident that the region will continue benefitting from your wise counsel and guidance of Hon. Kenyatta, since he has been involved in COMESA programmes on various levels when he served as the Deputy Prime Minister.

Mr Ngwenya has also congratulated Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio upon being elected as the 266th Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church. The Secretary-General pointed out that the new Pope, who has adopted the name of Pope Francis, brings to the Vatican a long career of pastoral experience from Argentina, his native land.

“We join the entire Catholic community in our COMESA region to pray for the new pope, the first one to be born outside of Europe in 1,300 years,” the message addressed to His Excellency Julio Murat, the Apostolic Pro Nuncio of the Holy See, who is also the Vatican Ambassador to Zambia and Special Representative to COMESA read in part.

“Further, we sincerely hope that during the tenure of Pope Francis, we will be able to strengthen the partnership between COMESA and the Vatican; and further our mutual interests and the regional integration agenda,” Mr Ngwenya added.

The Secretary-General also used the occasion to remember and pay credence to the Emeritus Pope Benedict, for his dedicated service. Pope Benedict stepped down last month, after serving the Roman Catholic Church for the past eight years.