President William Ruto formally handed over the chairmanship of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa during the 25th COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government in Harare on Thursday, October 22.

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema was appointed vice‑chairperson of the new COMESA Bureau, while President Ruto will continue to serve as the bloc’s rapporteur for the 2026‑2027 term.

In his summit address, Ruto congratulated Mnangagwa on his election and pledged full support, counsel and commitment to the new chairperson as COMESA pursues deeper economic integration.

Ruto also launched two key documents – the COMESA Medium‑Term Strategic Plan 2026‑2030 and the 2025 Annual Report – outlining the bloc’s priorities for industrialisation, sustainable development and trade liberalisation.

The new strategic plan sets a target of raising intra‑COMESA trade to 15 percent of the bloc’s total trade by 2030, up from current levels that remain modest despite a combined GDP of over $1 trillion.

Ruto highlighted that the 21‑member bloc, representing nearly 700 million people, still trades more with external partners than with each other, urging removal of non‑tariff barriers and greater digitisation of regional commerce.

He outlined five priority actions for member states: full implementation of the COMESA Free Trade Area, adoption of the COMESA Business Visa or ratification of the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, linking national payment systems to regional platforms, addressing reported trade barriers, and ensuring timely payment of financial contributions to the bloc.

Under Mnangagwa’s chairmanship, COMESA is expected to continue efforts to strengthen economic cooperation, expand intra‑African trade and improve the competitiveness of member economies.

The summit also reiterated ongoing challenges such as high transport costs, lengthy border procedures and divergent national regulations that continue to impede the free movement of goods across the region.