Day 2 of the Kenya International Investment Conference (KIICO) 2026, held alongside the COMESA Investment Forum (CIF), reinforced calls for deeper regional integration and accelerated investment across the COMESA region, as leaders emphasized the need to transform policy commitments into tangible economic outcomes.
Speaking during the Forum, the Secretary General of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, underscored the importance of a unified regional approach to investment, noting that integration remains central to unlocking Africa’s full economic potential.
“The future of our region depends on our ability to create a seamless, predictable and competitive investment environment. By strengthening cooperation among Member States, we can significantly increase intra-regional trade and attract the scale of investment required to drive sustainable growth,” she stated.
With a combined market of over 600 million people and a GDP exceeding $1 trillion, COMESA presents one of the most attractive regional investment destinations globally. The Forum highlighted the region’s strong investment case, with infrastructure needs estimated at between $100 billion and $170 billion annually, and returns exceeding 12%.
Principal Secretary for Investment Promotion, Abubakar Hassan Abubakar, reiterated Kenya’s commitment to advancing this agenda, emphasizing that integration is key to attracting quality investment and building resilient regional value chains.
“The future of investment in Africa lies in integration. Investors are looking for scale, policy certainty and efficiency—conditions we must collectively create across the COMESA region. Our focus is on translating this potential into bankable opportunities and measurable outcomes,” he said.
PS Abubakar also announced the launch of the Investor’s Guide to Kenya, a comprehensive tool designed to provide investors with clear insights into priority sectors, incentives and the end-to-end investment journey.
In addition, the Forum showcased the rollout of an interactive investment platform, aimed at connecting investors with a pipeline of bankable projects across Member States, further strengthening visibility and access to regional opportunities.
Discussions also focused on the need for policy certainty, regulatory harmonization and trade facilitation to unlock intra-regional trade, which currently stands at 7.2%, with a target of reaching 25% in 2026.
Key initiatives, including the $2.4 billion digital infrastructure project by the African Development Bank, were highlighted as critical enablers of a more connected and competitive regional economy.
As the Forum progresses, stakeholders have been urged to move beyond dialogue and commit to actionable investments and partnerships that will drive industrialization, strengthen regional value chains and position COMESA as a leading engine of Africa’s economic transformation.
