Africa stands at a pivotal point. Countries are making deliberate actions to deepen regional economic ties, overcome shared challenges and create linkages to pave the way for prosperous, interconnected regional economies.

But one thing stands out: Success and inclusive growth is dependent not only on policy, but on strong collaborations between all stakeholders – government, the business community, development partners and the public. This was the ensuing conversation during the Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) Summit 2025, hosted here in Kenya. COMESA Member states, business, governments and other stakeholders converged to deliberate on how to deepen regional integration, inspired by a mission for a fully integrated and globally competitive economic community.

These conversations could not have come at a better time. Comesa remains one of Kenya’s most important trading partners and a key source of raw materials and intermediate products. Today, Africa accounts for approximately 42 per cent of Kenya’s export market, with Comesa contributing 11 per cent. The East African Community (EAC), whose majority member states are also in Comesa, makes up 30 per cent. Therefore, these blocs are critical pillars of Kenya’s economic architecture.

However, the opportunity is far greater than what the current numbers reflect. Only 11 per cent of Kenya’s imports are currently sourced from Africa. This calls for a renewed focus on building our sourcing capacity from within the COMESA region and strengthening regional value chains.

The upcoming implementation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), bringing together Comesa, EAC, and Southern African Development Community, offers a strategic path to expand regional integration, connecting Cape to Cairo through free trade. The TFTA area provides Kenya and other TFTA member states a chance to tap into at least 55 per cent of the potential presented by AfCFTA.

Harmonising trade policies across the member trading blocs, promises to be a game-changer for African economic integration, presenting a real opportunity to enhance Kenya's and the region’s capacity to trade and industrialise more efficiently. Central to COMESA’s economic transformation agenda is manufacturing. In Kenya, the sector plays a pivotal role in job creation, value addition, and export diversification.

Yet, despite Comesa’s potential, a population of 560 million people and a combined GDP of over $780 billion, intra-Comesa trade remains low, currently standing at 14 per cent. We are trading more with non-Comesa countries than we are within ourselves. It is imperative for us to leverage opportunities to develop regional value chains, particularly in manufacturing and in agro-processing to fully leverage Comesa.

Additionally, there is a high concentration of similar product lines across the Comesa region, just like in the rest of Africa, with different countries producing similar goods. Herein lies the opportunity to create diversity through backward and forward integration that enables us not only to trade in raw and finished materials, but also in intermediary products.

Mr Alando is the Chief Executive of Kenya Association of Manufacturers. ceo@kam.co.ke.