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The Warehouse Receipt System Council, led by CEO Ms. Lucy Komen, participated in a panel session during the 18th COMESA Summit Business Forum held at the KICC, Nairobi. The forum was themed “Leveraging Digitalization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.” The event, officially opened by H.E. Prof. Kithure Kindiki, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, brought together regional leaders, policymakers, and private sector representatives to deliberate on strategies for strengthening intra-COMESA trade and regional value chain integration through digital innovation.
During the panel discussion, Ms. Komen emphasized the importance of standardizing and integrating WRS across COMESA Member States, noting that such harmonization would, for example, enable a farmer in Kenya to use their warehouse receipt to trade or access financing in another COMESA country. She emphasized that this cross-border coordination is a key step toward achieving a truly integrated regional market.
The Council also showcased how its electronic Warehouse Receipt System (eWRS) Central Registry serves as a digital tool for enhancing traceability, transparency, and security in agricultural commodity trade. The eWRS reinforces WRS as a basis of structured and efficient regional commodity markets, supporting both farmers and financial institutions in accessing formal trade and credit systems. In addition to the panel session, the Council team participated in a concurrent exhibition at the summit, where they engaged with stakeholders and demonstrated how digital WRS solutions contribute to advancing COMESA’s regional trade agenda.