NAIROBI, Kenya — French President Emmanuel Macron began a visit to Kenya on Sunday ahead of the Africa Forward Summit, a gathering designed to promote what Paris calls a new partnership of equals with the continent — a departure from the post-colonial dominance that defined French policy for decades.
Kenya’s President William Ruto, hosting the summit for the first time in an Anglophone nation, said both leaders expect the event to be a “turning point” toward a better relationship. The summit, which opens Monday, is expected to draw 30 heads of state; 10 had arrived by Sunday.
Macron acknowledged the shifting geopolitical landscape, saying France can “disagree” with West African governments but “never disagrees with the people.” The remark came a year after France completed the withdrawal of its troops from West Africa, a region where its influence had waned amid criticism of its historical Françafrique policy — a system of economic, political, and military sway that kept thousands of French troops in former colonies. Leaders and opposition figures across the region have long described the approach as demeaning and heavy-handed.
Ruto, meanwhile, said Nairobi seeks to nurture a wide array of relationships and was “neither looking East nor West” but “looking forward.”
The visit drew sharp criticism from Kenya’s opposition leader, Kalonzo Musyoka. He said the choice of Kenya as a venue was undermined by the country’s own democratic shortcomings. “There will be an air of pretense that we are a cohesive nation,” Musyoka said. “We know that is far from the truth.” He cited threats to democracy, attacks on the opposition, and human rights violations as the country prepares for the 2027 general election.
Parallel to the summit, Kenya and France signed 11 agreements involving investments in nuclear energy, modernized transport, and sustainable agriculture. Macron said the deals were aimed at strengthening “human capital,” in line with the summit’s focus on innovation and Africa’s fast-growing young population.