Macron Announces $27 Billion Africa Investment at Kenya Summit, Calls Out Audience Disruption

May 13, 2026

French President Emmanuel Macron announced $27 billion in new African investments at the Africa Forward 2026 summit in Nairobi, marking the first France-Africa partnership summit held outside a Francophone country. The announcement comes as France seeks to rebuild influence after losing ground in West African former colonies, turning to Kenya as a strategic partner where 140 French companies now operate and France has deployed 600 military personnel under an April 2026 defence cooperation agreement. The agreement, which grants French forces diplomatic immunity and allows convicted personnel to serve sentences in France, has become highly unpopular among Kenyans already facing political unrest over President William Ruto's policies. While proponents frame the partnership as mutually beneficial and advantageous for Kenya's counterterrorism efforts, critics point to asymmetric privileges, with French nationals enjoying visa-free entry to Kenya while Kenyans lack reciprocal access.

Africa Forward 2026 summit

▪French President Emmanuel Macron announced $27 billion in Africa investment at the Africa Forward 2026 summit in Kenya.
▪The Africa Forward 2026 summit is the first of its kind held outside a Francophone country.
▪Kenya is hosting the Africa Forward 2026 summit in partnership with France.
▪The Africa Forward 2026 summit brings together African leaders and business executives from across the continent and beyond.

France-Kenya defence cooperation agreement

▪800 French troops arrived in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa for a joint training exercise with the Kenya Defence Forces before the April 2026 defence cooperation agreement was signed.
▪France and Kenya signed a defence cooperation agreement in April 2026.
▪The France-Kenya defence cooperation agreement is an automatic five-year renewable deal.
▪The France-Kenya defence cooperation agreement includes partnerships in maritime security, intelligence, peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
▪France has deployed 600 military personnel to Kenya under the defence cooperation agreement.
▪Kenya has ratified defence cooperation agreements with five countries: China, Zimbabwe, the Czech Republic, Ethiopia, and France.

French investment in Kenya

▪Kenya is the largest consumer of French products in East Africa.
▪France invested 1.8 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in Kenya over the past decade.
▪France is the fifth-largest provider of foreign direct investment in Kenya, supporting about 46,000 direct jobs.
▪Business France East Africa and the French Chamber of Commerce in Kenya launched a business guide in March 2026 to help French investors navigate opportunities in Kenya.
▪At least 140 French companies operate in Kenya as of 2026, up from 40 in 2013.

Military immunity provisions

▪The France-Kenya defence cooperation agreement grants French forces diplomatic-style immunity in Kenya.
▪The France-Kenya defence cooperation agreement requires disputes to be resolved through diplomatic channels rather than Kenyan courts.

French strategic interests in Africa

▪French President Emmanuel Macron turned to Kenya in response to France losing influence in West Africa.
▪Emmanuel Macron told French ambassadors in Paris in January 2025 that none of the Sahel countries would be a sovereign country today if the French army had not deployed in the region.