Macron unveils £20bn Africa push as France strikes new Kenya deals

France has announced €23 billion of wider African investment at a Nairobi summit, alongside separate bilateral deals with Kenya covering rail, ports, energy, health, education and digital infrastructure

France has announced €23 billion of investment in Africa as Emmanuel Macron used a major summit in Kenya to push for new partnerships beyond Paris’s former colonial ties.

The French president said the package would include €14 billion from French companies and public and private funds, and €9 billion from African entities, across energy transition, agriculture and artificial intelligence.

Macron made the announcement at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, where France is seeking to strengthen ties with English-speaking African countries after losing influence in several former colonies in West Africa.

He said the investments would create 250,000 jobs and described the relationship between France and Africa as a “partnership of equals”.

Macron said: “We are not simply here to come and invest on the African continent alongside you – we need great African business leaders to come and invest in France.”

The summit announcement came as Kenya and France also signed separate bilateral agreements covering rail, ports, digital infrastructure, nuclear energy, wind power, sustainable aviation fuel, agriculture, health and education.

The Kenya package includes a KSh 12.5 billion upgrade of Nairobi’s commuter rail network – about £72 million or €83 million – a KSh 104 billion logistics and port infrastructure venture, worth about £595 million or €686 million, and a KSh 32.5 billion expansion of the Kipeto wind power project, worth about £186 million or €215 million.

French shipping group CMA CGM also said it would invest €700 million – about £600 million or $820 million – to modernise a terminal at the Kenyan port of Mombasa.

Ruto said hosting the summit in Nairobi showed the growing strength of ties between Kenya and France.

He said: “Kenya is deeply honoured to host this summit, the first to be held outside France or a Francophone African country in more than five decades.”

The summit brought together more than 30 African leaders and business figures, including Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote and executives from major French firms including TotalEnergies and Orange.

Macron said France would also push for reform of the international financial architecture at next month’s G7 summit.

“We will try and speed up the reform of the African Financial Infrastructure with the African Development Bank,” he added.

Ruto said the bilateral deals would support Kenya’s development agenda and strengthen cooperation across strategic sectors.

One of the largest projects is the rehabilitation and modernisation of Nairobi Commuter Rail Line 5, linking the capital to satellite towns including Syokimau, Embakasi, Ruiru and Kikuyu.

Ruto said: “New extensions, including the Riruta-Ngong line currently under construction, will further improve connectivity across the metropolitan area.”

Other agreements cover Kenyan speciality tea exports, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, data systems, artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, sustainable aviation fuel, the blue economy, fisheries, climate services, agri-food systems, health, epidemic preparedness, STEM education and technical training.

Ruto said Kenya also wanted better air links with France to support trade, tourism and business.

He said: “At present, limitations in frequency, capacity, and routing constrain the full potential of direct air links between our two countries.”

On wider global issues, Ruto said he and Macron had reaffirmed support for multilateralism, climate action and reform of the global financial architecture to improve access to financing for developing countries.

He said: “President Macron and I agreed that the Africa-France Summit must move beyond dialogue to implementation, with a clear focus on investment, innovation, and partnerships that deliver measurable results.”

Kenya would not “look East or West” in its foreign partnerships, he said, adding: “We are looking forward.”

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_{Main image: President William Ruto and French officials look on as Kenya and France sign one of 11 cooperation agreements at State House Nairobi, covering rail, ports, energy, digital infrastructure, health and education. Credit: Office of the President of Kenya / State House Kenya.}