President Kibaki arrives in Swaziland for COMESA summit

Kenyas President, Mwai Kibaki arrived in Ezulwini, Swaziland to attend the 14th COMESA summit of Heads of State and Government.

The plane carrying President Kibaki and his entourage touched down at Matsapha International airport shortly before 4.00 p.m. local time and he was warmly received by senior Swazi Government officials led by Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini and the Kenyan High Commissioner to South Africa Tom Amolo who is also accredited to the Kingdom of Swaziland.

The Kenyan delegation to the 14 COMESA summit include Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula and his Trade counterpart Chirau Ali Makwere, and the Kenyan High Commissioner to Zambia who is also the Permanent Representative to COMESA Amb. Dr. Kipyego Cheluget.

The summit whose theme is ‘Harnessing Science and Technology for Development’, officially opens tomorrow and will examine developments on the regional integration agenda, including progress towards full implementation of the Comesa Customs Union.

This year’s COMESA summit will also examine the tripartite cooperation between Comesa-East African Community-Southern African Development Community, and how the region can enhance the use of science and technology for the benefit of its people.

During the Summit, Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe is expected to hand over the chairmanship of COMESA to His Majesty King Mswati III.

COMESA, whose current membership stands at 19 countries with a combined population of over 400 million people, has an annual import bill of US$ 32 billion against an export bill of US$82 billion. To spur growth, COMESA’s strategy is economic prosperity through regional integration.