from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – SEEN as France’s geopolitical pivot, an economic repositioning and an attempt to retain diplomatic relevance, the Africa Forward Summit has opened in Kenya.
The two-day gathering, also known as the Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth Summit, represents a reset of France’s foreign policy. It is the first time a major Africa-France summit is being held in an English-speaking African country.
More than 30 heads of state and government, along with 1,500 business leaders, are expected in Nairobi for the summit, which began on Monday under the theme: “Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth.”
The theme reflects ambitions to promote economic collaboration, digital technology, energy transition and innovation.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres is among delegates attending the summit, which coincides with the inauguration of new UN offices (UNON) and the groundbreaking of a new conference facility.
He is expected to attend the launch alongside host President William Ruto.
Ruto is co-hosting the summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. The two leaders met on Sunday.
“The decision to host the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya, for the first time in a non-Francophone country, is a strong affirmation of the growing ties between our two countries,” Ruto said.
Macron described it as “a summit of a renewed and win-win partnership.”
Ruto also held separate meetings with Presidents Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, Joseph Boakai of Liberia and Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone.
Geopolitically, the summit is seen as a strategic shift for France, which previously held strong influence in Central and West Africa. Recent tensions with former colonies have prompted Paris to redirect its focus towards other regions of the continent.
France views Kenya as central to its renewed ambitions, despite its Anglophone identity.
On the eve of the summit, the two countries signed 11 agreements worth an estimated US$1 billion across multiple sectors.
Kenya’s emerging Silicon Savannah is increasingly seen as a battleground for global economic influence, particularly in technology and innovation.
– CAJ News