Nairobi, Kenya – July 22, 2025

Let us work together to unlock the full potential of our common market and make regional trade more inclusive, efficient, and resilient. This was said by Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Trade, Ms. Regina Akoth Ombam, during the official opening of the 41st Meeting of the COMESA Trade and Customs Committee, which has commenced in Nairobi, Kenya.

The meeting, co-hosted by the Government of Kenya and the COMESA Secretariat, is anchored under the theme: “Accelerating Regional Integration through the Development of Regional Value Chains in Climate Resilient Agriculture, Mining and Tourism.”. The meeting brings together distinguished delegates from across Eastern and Southern Africa to deliberate on strategies aimed at deepening regional economic integration.

Ms Ombam warmly welcomed delegates, emphasizing the country’s strong commitment to COMESA’s integration agenda. “We are delighted to host you in Nairobi,” she noted. “Your deliberations are crucial in advancing trade facilitation, harmonizing customs procedures, and dismantling barriers that hinder the free flow of goods and services within our region.”

She further stressed that regional integration remains key to achieving sustainable economic growth and improving livelihoods across the continent. Kenya, she affirmed, remains dedicated to working with all member states to unlock COMESA’s full potential.

Addressing the gathering, COMESA Assistant Secretary General for Programmes, Amb. Dr. Mohamed Kadah, underscored the significance of the meeting, particularly in the context of rising geopolitical tensions and economic disruptions. “This meeting comes at a time when our region must respond decisively to global shocks by strengthening intra-regional trade and investment,” he stated.

The ASG-P also praised the committee’s historic role in driving COMESA’s integration agenda through key instruments such as simplified Rules of Origin, a regional platform for addressing non-tariff barriers (NTBs), and inclusive strategies for small-scale cross-border trade.

Delegates are deliberating a broad range of issues that will influence COMESA’s future direction, including:

• The implementation status of the COMESA Free Trade Area and progress towards full participation by all member states;
• Digital transformation of trade facilitation tools, such as the roll-out of the e-Certificate of Origin;
• Revisions to the Rules of Origin to reflect modern trade realities;
• Strategic alignment between COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA);
• Outcomes of the recent COMESA-WTO Workshop on the Movement of Natural Persons and its implications for services trade.

Despite past progress, intra-COMESA trade remains below expectations – stagnating under 10%, and trailing behind trade volumes with the EU, China, and India. “Clearly, we must do more,” urged the Assistant Secretary General. “We must now take extraordinary measures to strengthen our economies and the foundations of regional integration.”

With COMESA’s current Medium-Term Strategic Plan (2021–2025) drawing to a close, discussions from this meeting are expected to influence the development of the next strategy cycle. There is a shared resolve among delegates to reignite progress and push intra-regional exports to the 25% target by 2026.

Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Trade closed with a call to action: “Let us use this platform to forge stronger partnerships, share best practices, and develop actionable strategies that will propel our region forward.”

As the 41st COMESA Trade and Customs Committee meeting continues, participants are optimistic that the outcomes will mark a pivotal step in strengthening regional economic cooperation and resilience.