The Kenyan capital, Nairobi, will host the second edition of the COMESA Investment Forum 2026 on 26 March. 

The forum is held under the patronage of William Ruto, President of Kenya and is organized by the COMESA Regional Investment Agency (RIA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry, through the Kenya Investment Authority (Invest Kenya).

The event will bring together more than 400 policymakers, government officials, business leaders, and investors from 17 COMESA Member States.

The forum will witness the participation of several regional and international institutions and organizations, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in addition to investors and business leaders from Egypt and Tunisia, the Egyptian Junior Business Association (EJB), a number of development banks and private investment funds, as well as the COMESA Secretariat.

The forum aims to enhance regional economic integration and support foreign direct investment flows within COMESA Member States, while also accelerating trade liberalization and improving the investment environment in a way that contributes to promoting sustainable economic growth across Eastern and Southern Africa.

Through several dialogue and strategic sessions, the forum will address developments in trade and investment liberalization, attracting foreign direct investment, and strengthening policy coordination and investment governance within the COMESA regional integration agenda. 

A dedicated session will focus on attracting investment into regional value chains, with the aim of increasing intra-COMESA industrial exports to 25 percent by 2026 and enhancing companies’ access to markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The forum will also discuss strengthening the role of the COMESA Common Investment Area (CCIA) Agreement as a unified regional framework to improve the investment climate and facilitate cross-border projects. 

Heba Salama, Chief Executive Officer of the COMESA Regional Investment Agency, said the Forum comes at a defining moment for the region, as COMESA moves from being seen as part of Africa’s broader investment story to standing out as an investment destination in its own right. 

She noted that COMESA is the largest regional economic bloc in Africa, comprising 21 member states with a combined population exceeding 700 million people and a total gross domestic product of more than $1 trillion. 

She stressed that the objective of the Forum is to send a clear message that the region is open for business and ready for investment that supports industrial growth, expands productive sectors, and creates real opportunities for its people.

She added that the Forum is designed to drive practical outcomes by connecting decision-makers, investors, and business leaders around a shared agenda of stronger regional value chains, deeper cross-border partnerships, and a more competitive investment climate. 

According to Salama, the priority is not only to attract more capital, but to channel investment into the sectors that can create jobs, strengthen resilience, and turn the region’s economic potential into tangible results.