Kagame Arrives in Nairobi for Africa–France Summit on Investment and Technology

Rwandan President Paul Kagame arrived in Nairobi on Monday to attend the inaugural Africa Forward Summit 2026, a high-level two-day forum bringing together African leaders and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss trade, technology, investment, and energy cooperation across the continent. Kagame was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Opiyo Wandayi, upon his arrival in the Kenyan capital. During the summit, Kagame is expected to co-chair a roundtable on artificial intelligence and digital technologies, and later address a

Rwandan President Paul Kagame arrived in Nairobi on Monday to attend the inaugural Africa Forward Summit 2026, a high-level two-day forum bringing together African leaders and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss trade, technology, investment, and energy cooperation across the continent.

Kagame was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum, Opiyo Wandayi, upon his arrival in the Kenyan capital.

During the summit, Kagame is expected to co-chair a roundtable on artificial intelligence and digital technologies, and later address a plenary session focused on green industrialization and energy transition. Rwanda has in recent years positioned itself as one of Africa’s emerging digital economies, driven by heavy investment in ICT infrastructure and e-government services.

The summit, co-hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto and Macron, is being held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and the University of Nairobi on May 11–12. Organizers say representatives from 39 African countries are in attendance.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and delegations from more than 30 African states are also participating, including leaders from Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Senegal, and Zambia.

Kenya becomes the first Anglophone country to host the summit, which has traditionally been held in France or Francophone nations—signaling France’s effort to broaden its engagement across the continent.

Key discussions will focus on infrastructure, artificial intelligence, health manufacturing, agriculture, connectivity, and clean energy. The forum is being framed by organizers as implementation-driven, aiming to align political leadership, private investment, and innovation ecosystems around Africa’s development priorities.

African leaders are also expected to push for reforms in global credit rating systems, arguing that current models overstate risk in African economies and increase borrowing costs, discouraging investment.

Macron, who currently holds the rotating G7 presidency, described the Nairobi gathering as a “moment of truth” ahead of the upcoming G7 Summit in Evian.

Heads of state are expected to reconvene on May 12 for high-level sessions, culminating in the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration, which will outline shared priorities on investment, innovation, and sustainable development across Africa.