Lists of Heads of State in Nairobi for Africa Forward Summit

The Presidents, Prime Ministers, and other dignitaries started landing at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Saturday evening. 

On Sunday evening, France President Emmanuel Macron and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres touched down in Nairobi ahead of the Summit set to take place on May 11 and 12, 2026. 

Other Presidents who arrived on Sunday include Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Nigeria), Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Senegal), General Brice Oligui Nguema (Gabon), Julius Maada Bio (Sierra Leone), Nyuma Boakai (Liberia) and Alassane Ouattara (Côte d’Ivoire). 

Aziz Akhannouch, the Head of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and Mauritious Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam are also in Nairobi for the two-day summit. 

The summit is expected to bring together African and French leaders, investors and businesses, for talks centred on trade, investment and industrial growth. 

At the centre of the discussions will be how Africa can attract more investment into sectors such as manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, technology and logistics while ensuring more economic value remains within the continent.

Ahead of the summit, Kenya and France signed 11 agreements aimed at deepening cooperation across strategic sectors. This followed bilateral talks between President William Ruto and President Emmanuel Macron of France.

As the summit progresses, Ruto is also set to join United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres for the inauguration of the United Nations’ Nairobi Expansion Project.

The Gigiri project, approved by the United Nations member states in December 2023, would cost $340 million (nearly Ksh.43.8 billion).

The project includes a major upgrade of the conference facilities at UNON, which will cost $265.6 million (nearly Ksh.34.3 billion) and an upgrade of office blocks to the tune of USD74.5million (nearly Ksh.9.6 billion).