The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has formally launched an electronic certificate of origin system in Kenya, a move designed to modernise trade facilitation across the bloc and enhance the efficiency of intra-African commerce. The digital platform, unveiled on Thursday in Nairobi, seeks to reduce the administrative and financial burdens historically associated with manual certification processes.
According to Christopher Onyango, COMESA’s Director of Trade and Customs, the shift towards digital certification will help streamline customs procedures, reduce clearance delays, and bolster intra-regional trade flows by enabling exporters and customs authorities to process certificates electronically. Onyango emphasised that the system will support goods originating from COMESA member states in accessing preferential tariff treatment, thereby contributing to a more integrated regional market.
Kenya’s participation follows the successful adoption of the platform in Eswatini, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Josephine Makokha, Rules of Origin Manager at the Kenya Revenue Authority, highlighted that the new mechanism allows for the real-time transmission of certificates among member states, minimising bureaucratic obstacles and enabling more seamless cross-border transactions.
The initiative forms part of COMESA’s wider trade facilitation agenda, aligned with continental frameworks such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which also prioritises harmonisation and digitisation of trade procedures. By reducing reliance on paper-based systems, the electronic certificate of origin is expected to strengthen the credibility of customs documentation, mitigate risks of forgery, and accelerate clearance at border posts—long identified as a barrier to regional trade.
While the immediate impact will be most visible in countries that have adopted the platform, the long-term objective is full implementation across all 21 COMESA member states. Analysts suggest that this could significantly reduce the cost of doing business in the region, expand the competitiveness of African exporters, and contribute to the broader goal of industrial diversification and regional value chain integration.
The digitalisation of customs documentation reflects a wider continental trend towards harnessing technology to advance Africa’s economic transformation. By embedding efficiency and transparency into regional trade systems, the electronic certificate of origin represents not only a technical reform but also a step towards operationalising Africa’s long-standing aspirations for deeper economic integration.
