President William Ruto and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron hold talks on bilateral cooperation in Spain on July 1, 2025/PCSPresident William Ruto has announced that Kenya and France will jointly host the “Africa Forward: Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth” Summit in Nairobi on 11 and 12 May 2026.
The decision was confirmed by President Ruto and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron during a meeting on 24 September in New York, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.
The summit is part of a renewed drive to strengthen relations between France and African countries through partnerships rooted in mutual benefit.
In a statement, President Ruto said the gathering will bring together African and French Heads of State and Government, international organisations, the private sector, young entrepreneurs, and civil society to tackle shared priorities.
“It will notably cover the reform of the international financial architecture, the energy transition, green industrialisation, the blue economy and connectivity, artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture and health in both of our countries,” he said.
The summit will open with a Business Forum on 11 May 2026, designed to showcase innovations and ideas from African and French private sectors.
The forum will highlight success stories across the summit’s thematic areas and explore opportunities for collaboration to drive growth and innovation.
