President Ruto Lands in Zimbabwe on Private Jet Ahead of COMESA Summit

President William Ruto has arrived in Zimbabwe ahead of the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit.

Ruto arrived in the nation aboard a Boeing 737-8DV aircraft.

The aircraft, identified on FlightRadar24 as registration T7-BBJ2, is listed as a Boeing 737-8DV (BBJ2) under the category of private owner, with no operator named on the tracking platform.

Ruto arrived at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on Wednesday evening, October 21.

The president was was received by Zimbabwe’s Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister, Barbara Rwodzi, and other officials.

The President travelled to Zimbabwe to attend the summit, which brings together leaders from COMESA’s 21 member states to discuss regional trade, investment, industrialisation and economic integration.

One of the key events at the summit is the expected handover of the COMESA chairmanship from Kenya to Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The transition will mark the end of Kenya’s tenure leading the regional economic bloc, with Zimbabwe preparing to take over its leadership.

The summit is expected to provide a platform for member states to assess progress in regional integration and explore ways to expand trade and investment across their markets.

In a post on X following his arrival, Ruto outlined the main issues he expects leaders to address, including regional integration, peace and security, industrialisation and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“Arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe, for the 25th Summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government. At the summit, we will focus on deepening regional integration, strengthening peace and security, accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, advancing industrialisation, and unlocking the full economic potential of Africa’s natural resources through value addition,” he wrote.

The discussions are also expected to explore ways of increasing the value of Africa’s natural resources through local processing and manufacturing, while strengthening trade links among member states.