COMESA–EAC competition pact signals deeper regional economic integration

June 11, 2025 in Business, Investment, Markets, Policy, Trade & Industry by Editor

In a landmark step toward greater economic integration, the COMESA Competition Commission (CCC) and the East African Community Competition Authority (EACCA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in enforcing competition laws across Eastern and Southern Africa.

Inked on June 10, in Nairobi, Kenya, the agreement reflects a long overdue pivot towards regional blocs aligning their mandates to enhance fair trade and consumer protection in a rapidly converging marketplace.

With six of the EAC’s eight partner states also members of COMESA, creating a natural overlap in jurisdictions—and, until now, a risk of duplicated enforcement actions and inconsistent regulatory outcomes, the pact reflects a growing recognition that overlapping regional economic communities (RECs) must harmonize their regulatory frameworks to support seamless trade and investment flows.

“This MoU could not have come at a better time,” said Dr. Willard Mwemba, Chief Executive Officer of the COMESA Competition Commission. “As competition laws proliferate across the continent, it is vital for regulators to pool resources and coordinate activities, especially where member states fall under multiple jurisdictions.”

According to Mwemba, 19 of COMESA’s 21 member states have adopted competition laws, and five of those also belong to the EAC. The agreement formalizes collaboration between the two institutions in key areas such as joint investigations, information sharing, coordinated enforcement, and capacity building. It also aims to eliminate duplication in enforcement efforts and provide greater regulatory certainty for businesses operating across borders.

At a time when the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is gathering momentum, the COMESA–EAC agreement signals that RECs are embracing their role as foundational pillars of the continental integration agenda. Mwemba noted that more effective cooperation among regional bodies would bolster the detection of cross-border anti-competitive practices, deter consumer rights violations, and ensure that regional markets operate fairly and transparently.

Importantly, the MoU establishes designated focal points in each agency to coordinate joint activities and monitor implementation through annual work plans. The institutions also plan to conduct joint advocacy campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of competition law and consumer protection among regional stakeholders.

By aligning their enforcement frameworks, the CCC and EACCA hope to not only improve the efficiency of investigations but also increase investor confidence in the region’s regulatory landscape. The coordination is expected to be especially impactful in merger reviews involving multinational entities operating across both blocs.

The two institutions have also committed to reviewing their respective guidelines and regulations to ensure coherence and avoid conflicting interpretations of similar legal provisions. The collaboration, observers say, will be crucial as Africa moves from fragmented markets toward greater economic unity under AfCFTA.

Both CCC and EACCA are products of their respective regional legal instruments—the COMESA Competition Regulations (2004) and the EAC Competition Act (2006)—but their latest partnership highlights a new era of convergence among Africa’s regional economic communities. The deal represents not just regulatory efficiency, but a deeper political commitment to harmonized governance in the region’s economic affairs.