Addis Ababa talks with Zambia’s Hichilema are framed alongside a call to shift AfCFTA from negotiation to disciplined execution.
Ruto Pushes for Closer Regional Links
President William Ruto of Kenya has used engagements in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to push for closer Kenya–Zambia economic cooperation and to urge faster delivery of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to a statement shared on X on Sunday, February 15, Ruto held bilateral talks with Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema on the sidelines of a regional meeting where leaders gathered to discuss cooperation and economic growth.
“Cordial and excellent relations”
Ruto said Kenya and Zambia are “deepening cooperation in trade, investment and people-to-people engagement to expand opportunities and deliver tangible benefits to the citizens of our two nations,” describing the relationship as “cordial and excellent” and anchored in shared interests.
He also said his engagement with Zambia’s leadership focused on “practical ways of strengthening economic ties and building partnerships” that can create jobs, attract investors, and support long-term development for citizens in both countries.
Regional Trade Frameworks
In the same statement, Ruto said Kenya and Zambia are “working together within COMESA, the Tripartite Alliance and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area to ensure our two countries, our regions and the entire continent trade more with one another to raise intra- African trade from the current 18 per cent,” linking the bilateral push to wider regional trade objectives.
Ruto’s Wider AfCFTA Message
Days earlier in Addis Ababa, Ruto said that AfCFTA must shift firmly from talks to full implementation in order to deliver real, measurable benefits to Africa’s 1.4 billion people. He argued that bringing African markets together will support structural economic transformation by accelerating industrialization, deepening value addition, and driving broad-based growth.
He said implementation could unlock AfCFTA’s potential, with estimates suggesting it could boost intra-African trade by up to $3 trillion and lift the continent’s cumulative GDP by around $1.4 trillion between 2021 and 2045.
A New Implementation Committee and Private-Sector Emphasis
Ruto spoke while chairing the Inaugural Committee Meeting of Heads of State and Government on AfCFTA Implementation, attended by Presidents Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi and Duma Boko of Botswana, as well as AfCFTA Secretariat Secretary-General Wamkele Mene. Ruto is chair of the committee and will be deputized by President Boko.
He said AfCFTA’s promise depends on “disciplined execution and sustained political leadership,” and framed the committee as a mechanism for “strategic direction, and regular accountability.” He also called for partnership with the private sector, “investors, manufacturers, innovators, traders, and entrepreneurs” and argued that MSME participation should be made easier through AfCFTA instruments and national policies.
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