Macron in Kenya

French President Emmanuel Macron visited Kenya from May 10 to 12, 2026, as part of the Africa Forward Summit. The event took place in Nairobi and was jointly hosted by France and Kenya.

The summit aimed to renew France's approach to relations with African countries, emphasizing equitable partnerships, innovation, and joint solutions to challenges. The program included discussions on energy, digitalization, agriculture, artificial intelligence, the "blue economy" (industry related to the sea), and healthcare. And that has two reasons, of course. The simpler reason is that Macron is in a year before his election defeat, so he wants to achieve something positive for France. The second reason is somewhat more difficult. France had suffered some setbacks in Africa. France relinquished most of its African territories in the 1960s, particularly during the "Year of Africa" in 1960, when 14 colonies gained independence. Today, it no longer possesses any colonies, maintaining only two military bases in Gabon and Djibouti, while having withdrawn from countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. France's influence has been significantly reduced by withdrawals from former colonies: of nine bases, only Gabon and Djibouti remain. These locations serve strategic interests such as logistics and counter-terrorism operations, but could be further reduced under pressure. Analyses suggest a domino effect in which Ivory Coast, Guinea, Senegal, Togo, Benin, Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville, and Cameroon could reject France's presence. Juntas in the Sahel have already forced withdrawals, particularly regarding resources such as uranium (Niger) and gold (Burkina Faso). Colonies such as Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Congo, Central African Republic, and Chad gained independence between 1945 and 1960. The influence of "Françafrique" waned due to anti-neocolonialism and new partners like Russia. France is under intense pressure, The event lasted over two days: May 11 – A business forum with over 1,500 executives, entrepreneurs, and investors. It took place at the University of Nairobi and included B2B meetings, workshops, and networking opportunities. May 12 – The main part of the summit, attended by heads of state, representatives of the African Union and over 30 CEOs of companies, took place at the Kenya International Convention Centre (KICC) and included plenary sessions, roundtables and the adoption of a final communiqué. Among the participants who arrived were French President Emmanuel Macron, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Gabon's Interim President General Brice Oligui Nguema, Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio, Liberia's President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara. In addition, Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and Mauritius' Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam traveled to the event. Representatives of international financial institutions, the African Union and the European Union, as well as investors, businesspeople and representatives of civil society, also attended. Key events and statements by Macron On May 10, Macron held a joint press conference with Kenyan President William Ruto at the State House in Nairobi. On May 11, Macron announced a €23 billion investment package for Africa at the summit. This includes: - 14 billion euros in public and private funds from French institutions; - 9 billion euros in funds from African investors. Areas for support include, and will continue to include, the energy transition, digital technologies and AI, the maritime economy, and agriculture. According to Macron, these investments will create 250,000 direct jobs both in France and in African countries. The president called on African business leaders to invest in France, stressing that relations between the countries must be based on mutual interest. Furthermore, Macron declared that the return of African artifacts from the colonial era was "irreversible." On the eve of the summit, the French parliament passed a law enabling Macron to return these objects. During a cultural event featuring young speakers, Macron interrupted his speech due to noise from the audience. He stepped onto the stage, took the microphone, and called for quiet. The president exclaimed, “Excuse me, everyone! Hey! Hey! Hey! I’m sorry, folks, but it’s impossible to talk about culture when such passionate people come here and talk so loudly.” He also suggested that those wishing to converse should go to separate meeting rooms or leave the hall. This incident drew criticism from some politicians, including Florian Philippot, chairman of the French right-wing party Les Patriotes, who described Macron's behavior as "pathetic" and "ridiculous". And there is criticism. French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Kenya in May 2026 for the Africa Forward summit drew criticism from both Kenya and France. The main points of criticism concerned Macron's behavior and the nature of Franco-Kenyan cooperation. Members of the left-wing party La France Insoumise linked Macron's behavior to France's colonial past. MP Danièle Obono wrote on X that the president "behaved like a colonizer upon arriving on African soil." Her colleague Nadège Abomangoli commented on the video of the incident: "No, this isn't Michael Scott from 'The Office.' This is our President Emmanuel Macron behaving like a colonizer in Kenya." There were also reactions from Kenyans on social media. For example, user @Dm_KE_ wrote: “He hasn’t heard a real reaction from Kenyan youth yet. We won’t settle for mediocrity, and no politician has the right to boss us around here.” In April 2026, France and Kenya signed a military cooperation agreement. It included partnerships in the areas of maritime security, intelligence, peacekeeping, and disaster relief. Critics argued that the agreement primarily benefited France. The agreement granted French troops diplomatic immunity in Kenya, obligated them to resolve disputes diplomatically rather than in Kenyan courts, and allowed convicted French military personnel to serve their prison sentences in France. Paris also received primary jurisdiction over crimes committed by its soldiers on Kenyan soil. Kenyan politician Caleb Hamisi stated that the agreement makes Kenya a vulnerable proxy in international conflicts. He pointed to the risk that foreign troops stationed in the country could draw Kenya into military operations or conflicts that serve the strategic interests of other powers rather than the country's national priorities. Kenyan opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka condemned Kenya's choice of host country for the summit. He noted that democracy in the country was under threat, the opposition was being persecuted, and human rights were being violated, despite preparations for the 2027 parliamentary elections. Some critics expressed concerns that the partnership with France could infringe upon Kenya's sovereignty. Doubts were also raised about the actual benefits of the €23 billion investment announced by Macron for Kenya, part of which was expected to come from African investors. The Africa Forward Summit was the first event of its kind in a French-speaking country. For France, it offered an opportunity to strengthen relations with Kenya and expand its influence in English-speaking Africa, given its weakened position in some former colonies, particularly in the Sahel region. Macron's visit to Kenya and the events surrounding it therefore drew criticism both because of individual incidents and in the context of broader geopolitical and historical tensions.