Kenya and France strengthened bilateral ties after signing 11 agreements worth over $1 billion ahead of the Africa Forward Summit. Kenyan President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the Kenya-France deals at State House Nairobi on May 10, 2026.

The agreements covered transportation, maritime affairs, infrastructure, and economic development. Nairobi’s rail expansion and modernization project also featured prominently in the partnership plans.

Macron’s visit came before the first Africa Forward Summit, held on May 11 and 12. The summit brought together more than 30 African heads of state and unveiled a $27 billion investment package.

France and Kenya jointly organised the two-day gathering. It also became the first Africa-France meeting hosted by an English-speaking African country.

The summit came amid shifting relations between France and several former colonies in West Africa. For decades, France maintained political, economic, and military influence across parts of the region through its Françafrique policy.

However, several African countries have recently removed French troops and reduced diplomatic ties with Paris. Those moves marked a major shift from decades of post-colonial influence.

Following military withdrawals and rising political tensions in Francophone West Africa, France has sought to reshape its African policy. The French government now presents itself as a partner focused on economic cooperation and investment.

Speaking at the summit, President Ruto said new partnerships between African nations and France “must not be built on dependency but on sovereign equality.”

Leaders from Senegal, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana, Botswana, and other countries also attended the summit.