NAIROBI, Kenya, May 10 — France President Emmanuel Macron is in the country to attend the highly publicised Africa Forward Summit.
Macron and his host, William Ruto, are expected to showcase their growing partnership as co-chairs of the summit, which will focus on security cooperation, economic investment, and green energy.
Following its withdrawal from the Sahel region, France is seeking to expand its geostrategic influence in Africa by strengthening alliances across the continent.
Several African heads of state have already arrived in Nairobi ahead of the highly anticipated summit, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. Around 30 heads of state and government officials, alongside international delegates, are expected to attend.
The summit is expected to provide a platform for strengthening Africa-France cooperation and advancing dialogue on trade, investment, innovation, and sustainable development.
President Ruto is also expected to push for reforms aimed at making the global financial system more equitable for heavily indebted African nations, a campaign France has pledged to support.
According to the French Ambassador to Kenya, France is the fifth-largest foreign direct investor in the country, supporting approximately 46,000 jobs. Trade between the two countries, which Kenya’s Trade Ministry estimates at about $300 million (€255 million), continues to grow.
Kenya exports fruit, coffee, tea, flowers, and spices to France, while importing pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, chemicals, and machinery.