Macron opens Africa summit in Kenya, pushes new partnership with continent

Monday May 11, 2026

Emmanuel Macron arrived in Kenya on Sunday, launching a visit that sets the stage for the Africa Forward Summit and for France’s latest attempt to redefine its role on the continent. In Nairobi, the French president will press a message of partnership over influence, even as Paris continues to reckon with the fallout from its military retreat across West Africa and a broader reassessment of its post-colonial ties.

The French president’s trip to Kenya began on Sunday, ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, which Paris hopes will serve as a showcase for a revamped Africa policy: one that presents France not as a dominating former colonial power, but as a partner claiming to meet African states on more equal footing.

For the first time, the summit is taking place in an Anglophone country, and the timing is politically charged. It comes after French troops completed their withdrawal from West Africa last year, underscoring the erosion of French influence in a region where Paris once held substantial sway.

mewsinsideSince independence, France has retained deep economic, political and military ties with many of its former African colonies through a system often described as Françafrique, including the deployment of thousands of troops across the region. But that legacy has long drawn criticism from leaders and opposition figures alike, many of whom have accused France of treating the continent with condescension and undue force.

Macron’s host, Kenyan President William Ruto, said the two leaders view the summit as a “turning point” in efforts to build a stronger partnership.

Macron, meanwhile, pointed to the shifting geopolitical climate, saying France can “disagree” with West African governments but “never disagrees with the people”.

The two-day summit opens on Monday and is expected to bring together 30 heads of state. Ten had already arrived by Sunday.

Kenya’s opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka criticised the choice of Nairobi as the venue, arguing that democracy remains under strain in the country, the opposition faces pressure and human rights are being violated as Kenya prepares for the 2027 general election.

“There will be an air of pretence that we are a cohesive nation,” Musyoka said. “We know that is far from the truth.”

Ruto said on Sunday that Kenya wants to cultivate broad international ties and is “neither looking East nor West” but “looking forward”.

Later that day, Kenya and France signed 11 agreements covering investments across several sectors, including a nuclear energy plant, modernised transport and sustainable agriculture.

Macron said the projects were designed to strengthen “human capital”, aligning with the summit’s emphasis on innovation and Africa’s fast-growing youth population.

(FRANCE 24 with AP)