Bien responds to backlash after meeting President Macron

The backlash emerged on social media after photos and reports circulated showing Bien among notable guests who interacted with the French leader.  

Some online commentators accused the artist of appearing too close to French political power, while others questioned African entertainers engaging with Western leaders amid ongoing geopolitical tensions involving France in parts of Africa.

A section of critics also alleged that such engagements risked normalizing neo-colonial influence on the continent, with a vocal minority even calling for boycotts of Bien’s music. 

Responding to the criticism, Bien defended his decision to attend the meeting and maintained that engaging global leaders does not amount to surrendering his African identity or beliefs.

"I can sit at a table with global leaders and still remain fully African, fully critical, and fully myself. Presence is not submission," he said in a post on Tuesday, May 12.

The former Sauti Sol frontman was a distinguished guest at the high-profile diplomatic events held in Nairobi on May 10, 2026, marking President Macron’s official state visit to the country.

The star-studded reception at State House saw the “Bald Men Love Better” singer mingling with the global elite as the two nations celebrated a historic bilateral milestone.

The encounter was more than just a photo opportunity; it served as a centrepiece for the cultural agenda of the Africa Forward Summit 2026.

Bien’s appearance at the event placed him in the middle of a wider conversation about African artists and their participation in global diplomatic spaces.

Singer-songwriter Nviiri TheStoryteller, himself a former Bien associate, was one of the well-known figures who took to social media to sharply criticise fellow creatives.

In a series of widely circulated posts, Nviiri warned of what he described as a "dangerous trend" in which African artistes confuse access to power with meaningful social impact.

For him, images of African cultural figures on the red carpet alongside President Macron felt contradictory to the themes of liberation often explored in their own work.

"Artists are not state ornaments. We are not PR machinery. We are not puppets," Nviiri stated in a viral post. 

He further argued that art should function as "memory, resistance, and conscience," not as a decorative backdrop for governments with histories "rooted in exploitation, extraction, and control."

His remarks underscored a widening rift within the industry between those who see such summits as an opportunity for global visibility and those who view them as a refined form of "neo-colonial PR."

Nviiri rejected the positioning, arguing that Pan-Africanism was born out of resistance to colonialism, not associated with those who benefited from it.

"And no, France does not get to suddenly call itself ‘Pan-African,’" the artiste wrote, reflecting growing scepticism among younger Africans towards foreign-led development forums.

Bien's remarks come in the wake of the French President’s visit to Kenya for the Africa Forward Summit, a major diplomatic and cultural gathering co-hosted with President William Ruto.

The summit brought together over 30 heads of state, business leaders, and young innovators to discuss Africa’s future in areas such as innovation, energy, culture, and global cooperation.

During the visit, Macron has sought to reposition France’s relationship with Africa, emphasising partnerships of equals and increased investment across key sectors.