Mudavadi says Kenya ready for Africa Forward Summit as Ruto, Macron co-host talks

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said Kenya is ready to host what officials describe as one of the country’s biggest diplomatic and economic gatherings.

The summit will be co-hosted by President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron, and is expected to attract more than 30 heads of state and government and over 1,500 business leaders, investors and innovators from Africa and France.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Abraham Korir Sing’oei said the programme will run for two days, starting with a business forum on May 11 focused on “Inspire and Connect”, including B2B matchmaking, workshops and sector discussions.

The Heads of State Summit will follow on May 12 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), with plenaries and roundtables expected to culminate in the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration.

Officials said talks will focus on seven themes: energy transition and green industrialisation; reform of the international financial architecture; blue economy; sustainable agriculture; AI and digital technologies; resilient health systems; and peace and security.

Sing’oei said the Nairobi Declaration will capture Africa’s shared priorities and feed into discussions at the G7 Summit in Évian, France in June 2026.