In May 2026, Kenya hosted the Africa Forward Summit in partnership with France, the first time such a gathering was held outside a Francophone country.
President William Ruto of Kenya and President Emmanuel Macron of France co-hosted the summit, which brought together more than 30 African leaders as well as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres.
Prominent attendees included President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt, and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, among others.
The event showcased a new era of partnership, moving beyond France’s traditional sphere of influence in West and Central Africa toward East Africa.
However, beyond the signed agreements and handshakes, one moment captured global attention for the wrong reasons. French President Emmanuel Macron sparked a firestorm of criticism at the summit after interrupting a youth-focused session.
He publicly scolded attendees for talking over the speakers, calling the disruption “a total lack of respect.” Video from the event showed Macron rising from his seat and walking onto the stage during the “Africa Forward: Creation in Motion” session, a panel that featured artists and young entrepreneurs speaking about culture and innovation.
“Excuse me, everybody. Hey, hey, hey, I’m sorry, guys. But it’s impossible to speak about culture, to have people like that super inspired, coming here, making a speech with such noise. So this is a total lack of respect. I suggest if you want to have bilateral or speak about somebody else, I mean something else, you have bilateral rooms, or you go outside. If you want to stay here, we listen to the people, and we’re playing the same game,” Macron noted.
Macron immediately drew criticism on social media. Many accused him of being condescending and out of line.
Critics said it was inappropriate for a foreign leader to come to Africa and talk down to people as if they were children. Others pointed out the irony: Macron had come to Kenya to promote a more equal and respectful partnership, but his actions felt like the old paternalistic behaviour France claims to have left behind.
Local media reported that the incident cast an unusual shadow over the summit. Some civil society groups went further, characterising the entire event as a “reengineering of imperialism” – a new version of an old power imbalance.
Despite the controversy, the summit quickly moved past the interruption and focused on its main agenda: signing agreements.
Over the two days, Kenya and France signed several deals. At the bilateral level, the two countries signed agreements worth approximately €170 million covering energy, digital infrastructure, water, education, and technical cooperation.
Beyond Kenya, French public and private actors pledged €23 billion in investments across the African continent, targeting energy, health, agriculture, and finance. Both sides also adopted the Nairobi Declaration, a political framework outlining seven strategic priorities, including energy transition, green industrialisation, artificial intelligence, and security.
What Was Signed?
The agreements fell into three categories: Kenya-France deals worth €170 million, continent-wide investments worth €23 billion, and the non-binding Nairobi Declaration.
In energy, France and Kenya agreed to raise the Masinga Dam. Both countries also signed an agreement to expand the Kipeto Wind Farm. The two nations further agreed to cooperate on nuclear energy.
Across Africa, EDF committed to developing 2 gigawatts of hydropower projects, TotalEnergies pledged over $2.4 billion for renewable energy and clean cooking in several countries, and Meridiam committed $200 million to double Kipeto’s capacity.
Digital infrastructure featured prominently as France and Kenya signed an agreement to lay hundreds of kilometres of fibre optic cables across dozens of Kenyan counties.
In transport, the two countries signed three agreements: a deal to expand the Port of Mombasa, a deal to modernise Nairobi’s commuter rail, and a joint venture agreement on logistics and port infrastructure.
France and Kenya strengthened water cooperation by signing a technical agreement to improve water supply in Kisumu and Eldoret as part of a €1.5 million package.
The two countries also expanded education partnerships by collaborating with Kenyan universities on agribusiness and energy programmes and committing funding for an Engineering and Science Complex at the University of Nairobi.
France and Kenya, moreover, deepened health cooperation by signing an agreement to jointly combat epidemics, while TotalEnergies and Ellipse Projects committed $700 million to build and renovate hospitals across Africa.
The two countries advanced agricultural cooperation by signing a trade agreement allowing Kenyan purple tea to enter French retail networks alongside a broader bilateral agreement on agri-food systems.
Meanwhile, Proparco committed €300 million for farming projects through Ecobank, while Bpifrance and OCP Group launched a $150 million investment fund for sustainable agriculture.
French public and private actors reinforced financial cooperation by pledging €23 billion for projects across Africa. The package includes €14 billion from French companies, €9 billion from African partners, a €200 million facility for the West African development bank (BOAD), a €300 million partnership with AXIAN Group for telecom and renewable energy, and a €20 million investment in South Africa’s Biovac.
France and Kenya also broadened cooperation by signing agreements on the blue economy, artificial intelligence and sustainable aviation fuel.
Finally, both adopted the Nairobi Declaration, a non-binding political framework outlining seven strategic priorities: energy transition, green industrialisation, sustainable agriculture, artificial intelligence, health, blue economy, and security.
Binding or Just Talk? Which Agreements are Real Commitments
With so many agreements signed, a natural question arises: Which are actually enforceable?
Not all carry the same legal weight. They fall into three categories.
Legally binding agreements include the defence cooperation pact, commercial contracts like the Port of Mombasa expansion, and bilateral loan agreements with AFD. These are enforceable under the law.
Framework MOUs and declarations of intent, such as the Masinga Dam and fibre optic declarations, signal serious intent but are not immediately enforceable. They often lead to binding deals later.
Political declarations like the Nairobi Declaration and the €23 billion investment pledges carry no legal obligation. They represent political will, not legal commitment.
Why East Africa? France’s Pivot After the Sahel Collapse
To understand why France is turning to East Africa, one must first examine what happened in West Africa.
For decades, France maintained a dominant military and political presence across the Sahel and Francophone West Africa. However, that influence has steadily faded. Following military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger between 2020 and 2023, all three countries expelled French troops and severed military ties with Paris.
The withdrawals soon spread beyond the Sahel. Chad followed in late 2024, Senegal completed the departure of French forces in July 2025, and Côte d’Ivoire requested a withdrawal in early 2025.
By mid-2025, France had closed its permanent military bases in West and Central Africa. Its only remaining permanent military base on the continent is in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa.
This setback forced Paris to look eastward, and the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi provided the clearest sign yet of this strategic recalibration. According to the Élysée, the summit “illustrates the desire to diversify alliances, in light of the recent diplomatic crises in the Sahel, by forging closer ties with East African economies.”
Why Kenya Specifically?
Kenya emerged as France’s preferred entry point into East Africa for several reasons.
First, Kenya is the region’s largest economy and one of Africa’s most influential diplomatic hubs. Nairobi hosts several major UN agencies and has established itself as a centre for finance, logistics, innovation and technology. More than 140 French companies operate in Kenya, while France has invested an estimated €1.8 billion in the country over the past decade.
Second, Kenya provides access to the wider East African market through the East African Community (EAC) common market, which serves more than 300 million people and has a combined GDP exceeding $300 billion.
Third, East Africa occupies a strategic position along key Western Indian Ocean maritime routes, making the region increasingly important for global trade, counter-terrorism efforts and broader Indo-Pacific security interests.
Taken together, these economic, diplomatic and strategic advantages have positioned Kenya as a natural partner for France as it seeks to strengthen its footprint in East Africa.
A Shift From Donor-Recipient to Strategic Partnership
France’s engagement with Kenya is increasingly moving away from the traditional donor-recipient model towards a more strategic, interest-driven partnership centred on investment, industrial cooperation, technology transfer and security collaboration. France is already Kenya’s fourth-largest foreign investor and the leading bilateral partner in the country’s energy sector.
The shift, however, is not without its critics. Some argue that France is merely rebranding its influence in Africa rather than abandoning a transactional approach. In parts of the Sahel, Kenya’s growing military cooperation with France is viewed as providing Paris with an opportunity to rebuild its influence and extend its reach following its setbacks in West Africa.
Analysts also warn that anti-French sentiment, once largely confined to Francophone Africa, could gradually gain traction in regions traditionally considered outside France’s sphere of influence.
For France, the strategic calculation is straightforward. Having lost much of its foothold in West Africa, Paris sees East Africa as a new frontier for maintaining its relevance on a continent where its influence has significantly declined.
Kenya, with its expanding economy, diplomatic stature and regional connectivity, has emerged as the cornerstone of that strategy and the gateway to France’s renewed engagement with East Africa.
Who Stands to Gain More?
The agreements signed deliver significant benefits to both Kenya and France, with broader implications for East Africa.
Kenya stands to gain €170 million in loans and grants to support key projects, including the expansion of the Port of Mombasa, Nairobi commuter rail modernisation, fibre optic connectivity across 43 counties, and improvements to water infrastructure.
The deals also open market opportunities for Kenyan exports, strengthen academic and youth exchange programmes, and deepen defence cooperation. Additionally, hosting the summit reinforced Nairobi’s position as East Africa’s leading diplomatic and economic hub.
For France, the agreements create commercial opportunities for French companies in infrastructure, logistics and transport, while providing greater access to the East African Community market of more than 300 million people.
Strategically, the partnership strengthens France’s presence in the Western Indian Ocean and supports its efforts to rebuild influence in Africa following its withdrawal from several West African countries.
More broadly, the summit signals growing French interest in East Africa as a key partner for investment, infrastructure development, digital transformation and regional security.
Kenyans’ Concerns and Political Criticism of the Summit
The summit sparked debate in Kenya, with concerns centred on accountability, economic benefits and national sovereignty.
One of the most contentious issues is the defence cooperation agreement, which grants French military personnel immunity from Kenyan courts. Critics point to past cases involving foreign troops, including the killing of Agnes Wanjiru, a Kenyan woman allegedly murdered by a British soldier in 2012, where justice remains elusive.
Others raised concerns that French-backed projects could increase Kenya’s debt burden without generating sufficient employment opportunities for local communities.
Critics raised concerns about whether the agreements will deliver tangible benefits to ordinary Kenyans or primarily serve the interests of French companies and investors.
Meanwhile, some political leaders have dismissed the summit altogether, describing it as a waste of time rather than engaging with the substance of the agreements and their long-term implications for Kenya.
Long-Term Partnership or Tactical Alignment?
The Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi was an important moment in Africa–France relations and the first time such a meeting was held outside a Francophone country. The agreements signed, including €170 million in bilateral deals and €23 billion in investment pledges across Africa, suggest a growing economic and security partnership between Kenya and France.
However, it is still unclear what kind of relationship this really is.
On one hand, the summit presented a shift away from a donor–recipient model towards a partnership based on cooperation, shared interests and joint investment. The Nairobi Declaration and statements by President Ruto both emphasised mutual respect and shared development goals.
Notably, critics say France is not changing much, but instead rebranding its influence. They also raise concerns about the defence agreement, especially the immunity granted to French forces, which raises questions about sovereignty and accountability.
For France, the summit is part of a wider strategy to rebuild its influence in Africa after losing ground in West Africa. It is now focusing more on East and Central Africa, with Kenya acting as an important entry point. France already has many companies operating in Kenya and has invested heavily in the country over the years.
For Kenya, on the other hand, the partnership could bring investment, infrastructure development, security support and stronger international influence. It also strengthens Nairobi’s position as a major diplomatic centre in the region.
In the end, the partnership may be both strategic and practical at the same time. France is looking for new allies, while Kenya is seeking investment and security support.
Whether this becomes a strong long-term partnership will depend on how the agreements are implemented and whether they benefit ordinary people.
