French President Emmanuel Macron and Kenyan President William Ruto pledged mutual respect and announced multi-billion dollar investment deals during a summit in Nairobi.
The agreements signal a strategic shift in France-Africa relations, aiming to replace old colonial dynamics with a partnership focused on shared economic goals and long-term transformation.
The Africa Forward summit, co-hosted by Nairobi and Paris, took place May 11-12, 2026. During the event, Macron said the partnership is "based on a shared agenda" [1]. The French president said that France is committing $27 billion in new investments across the African continent [2].
Specific deals focused heavily on Kenya, where Macron said investment agreements are worth more than €1 billion [3]. These agreements consist of 11 deals, which include a €700 million project to upgrade a port [4].
President Ruto emphasized the shift in the diplomatic relationship between the two nations. "We are entering a new era of mutual respect," Ruto said [1]. He said he wants a "win-win partnership" between Africa and France to accelerate the continent's economic growth [5].
The summit focused on building a framework for co-investment and mutual respect to ensure that economic growth benefits both European and African partners. The leaders said that the new approach focuses on sustainable development and economic transformation rather than traditional aid models [5].
“"We are entering a new era of mutual respect"”
This summit represents a calculated effort by France to pivot its foreign policy in Africa from a post-colonial oversight role to a commercial partnership. By committing significant capital to infrastructure and port upgrades, France is attempting to compete with other global powers for influence in East Africa, specifically utilizing Kenya as a strategic hub for broader continental engagement.
