President William Ruto with French President Emmanuel Macron at State House, Nairobi. [PCS]
French President Emmanuel Macron is in Nairobi for a two-day summit that positions Kenya as the new centre of France's Africa strategy.
Macron co-hosts the Africa Forward Summit on Monday and Tuesday alongside President William Ruto, bringing together African leaders and business executives as he seeks to cement his legacy with one year remaining before the end of his term.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi received Macron at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Sunday afternoon, alongside Cabinet Secretaries Aden Duale and Geoffrey Ruku, before the French president proceeded to State House, Nairobi, where he was received r.
The two leaders are currently in a bilateral meeting, with a joint media address expected to follow.
The French president's arrival came as several other heads of state flew into Nairobi. Côte d'Ivoire President Alassane Ouattara, Sierra Leone's Julius Maada Bio and Liberia's Joseph Boakai all landed at the airport, where Tourism Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano received them.
The summit, themed "Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth," aims to demonstrate Africa's innovation capacity and affirm a shared commitment to developing mutually beneficial solutions.
It will be the first France–Africa summit held in a non-Francophone African country, drawing over 4,000 delegates, including 30 heads of state and government, global financiers, business leaders and civil society groups.
Other dignitaries expected include UN Secretary-General António Guterres, African Union Commission chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.
The summit will focus on economic development and cross-border investment, among other themes, the French presidency said.
