Vice President Alupo in Nairobi for COMESA meeting

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NAIROBI - Uganda’s Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo has today arrived in Nairobi to represent President Yoweri Museveni at the 24th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit taking place in Kenya.

Upon arrival at Jomo Kinyatta International Airport, the vice president was warmly received by Kenya’s Director for African Affairs Directorate, Lazarus Muganda, Uganda’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Francis Mwebesa, Ambassador Eunice Kigenyi and Uganda’s Defence Attache Brig. General McDans Kamugisha, among other dignitaries.

COMESA meeting is taking place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) under the theme, ‘Leveraging Digitisation to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.’

(Courtesy photo)

The vice president is expected to address the meeting tomorrow on behalf of H.E. President Museveni. Kenya’s President H.E. William Ruto is expected to take over as Chairperson of the COMESA Authority for a period of one year.

The current Chair, Burundi’s President H.E. Evariste Ndayishimiye, will hand over to President Ruto tomorrow, October 9, 2025.

The summit started on Monday, 6th – 9th October with the COMESA-EU Horticulture Connect, which brought together buyers and horticulture producers from the European Union to interact with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including women-owned businesses from the region.

This engagement was aimed at strengthening the capacity of the SMEs by introducing them to firsthand knowledge of EU market requirements, certification processes and quality standards, ensuring that they remain competitive globally.

Over the past years, the COMESA Secretariat has been organising trade missions for SMEs from Member States to participate in EU Business Partnership Dialogues meant to enhance market access by connecting the SMEs with European buyers, investors and trade facilitators.

This has helped them secure export deals and expand distribution networks. According to the COMESA secretariat, these engagements have been very helpful and have contributed to the improved way of doing business for SMEs.

The EU-COMESA Connect has been followed by the 18th COMESA Business Forum and Exhibition, where more than 300 businesspeople from across the region gathered to share innovation, trade, showcase their products and form partnerships.

The COMESA Business Council Chief Executive Officer, Teddy Soobramanien, noted that the Business Forum offers a platform where business leaders, policymakers, innovators and investors from across the region gather annually to network and explore ways of deepening trade and collaboration.

The 20th Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, which is being held today on October 8, 2025, will review the peace and security situation in the COMESA region and map ways of promoting peace, democracy and encouraging dialogue in conflict resolution.

It brought together the Minister of Peace and Security, and participants received a detailed report on the current security situation, and they were given adequate information on how the region is progressing.