President William Ruto urged African nations to adopt digital transformation for regional integration, job creation, and economic independence at the 24th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Summit in Nairobi, where Kenya is hosting.

• Ruto emphasized that Africa must become a producer and exporter of digital innovations, citing Kenya’s M-Pesa as a successful homegrown innovation.
• He assumed the rotating chairmanship of COMESA from Burundi’s President Evariste Ndayishimiye, pledging to steer the bloc towards a digital-first, inclusive growth agenda.
• Ruto called for harmonized digital policies, common e-commerce standards, and integrated cross-border payment systems to create a single digital market and reduce reliance on Western-dominated financial systems.
• Kenya has invested $150 million in Afreximbank and the Trade and Development Bank to expand access to long-term financing.