Members of the COMESA Business Council (CBC) have elected a new Board of Directors for the years 2026 to 2028 during the 12th Annual General Meeting, which was held in hybrid mode (in-person and virtually) at the Intercontinental Hotel in Lusaka, Zambia.
Mr Mucai Kunyiha, representing the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), emerged as the new CBC Board President; Dr Sherif El Gabaly, from the Egyptian Businessmen Association (EBA) and Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), assumes the role of 1st Vice President, with Mrs Munkeni Kiekie Eliane, from the Federation Des Entreprises Du Congo (FEC), serving as the 2nd Vice President, and Mr Mohamed Guirreh Galab, from the Chamber of Commerce of Djibouti (CCD), as the 3rd Vice President.
Other members elected to the Board of Directors include Mr Kenneth Ayebare from the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU), Mr Patrice Marie from the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and Mr Gerald Zhou from the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC), and Mr Arnold Kweyani Mbwana from the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI).
Mr James Chimwaza will serve as the immediate past president, the Secretary General of COMESA, Her Excellency Ms Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, is the ex officio member of the Board, and the Chief Executive Officer of CBC, Dr Teddy Soobramanien, is the secretary to the Board.
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected president of the CBC Board of Directors, Mr Kunyiha, expressed his gratitude for the confidence placed in the new Board and reaffirmed its commitment to building on the strong foundation established by its predecessors.
He noted that while significant progress has already been made, the new Board will continue advancing the vision of the COMESA Business Council by strengthening collaboration with the private sector and driving initiatives that promote regional trade, investment, and economic integration across the COMESA region.
Speaking during the AGM, COMESA Secretary General, Her Excellency Ms Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, congratulated the newly elected Board of Directors and expressed appreciation to the outgoing Board for its dedicated leadership and service. She reaffirmed the COMESA Secretariat’s commitment to working closely with the new Board to strengthen private sector participation and advance the region’s economic integration agenda.
The Secretary General further underscored the importance of aligning the COMESA Business Council’s 2027–2030 Strategic Plan with the COMESA Medium-Term Strategic Plan (2026–2030) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Implementation Strategy. She noted that a shared strategic direction between the Secretariat and CBC would be essential to unlocking greater opportunities for businesses and ensuring the private sector remains at the centre of regional integration efforts.